


Recall

by mbmatthews1, missmaryr (mbmatthews1)



Series: Recall [1]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-23
Updated: 2014-05-25
Packaged: 2018-01-26 05:58:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 14
Words: 61,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1677323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mbmatthews1/pseuds/mbmatthews1, https://archiveofourown.org/users/mbmatthews1/pseuds/missmaryr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In this AU where the Autobots left after Mission City and Megatron conquers Earth, humans are made into drones. Some are capable of remembering their human pasts. What happens when a drone catches Megatron's eye and ends up remembering his past?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. S-4371: First meeting with Lord Megatron

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Transformers; Hasbro got there first.  
> This is a story based on an unfinished fanfiction first posted elsewhere; the original is now deleted. Jason Grey began it and asked me to adopt. I kept the background, most of the first chapter, and heavily edited the second.

Be seen but not heard.

Do as you're told.

Speak only when spoken to.

These rules make sense, my commander says. The perfect Four is silent, obedient and loyal to his superiors and Lord Megatron. The perfect Four is dutiful, always on time for his assignments, and never hesitates to help his commanders. I am the perfect Four in every way but that last, which I think is his way of saying he wants to top me till my processor shorts. My commander subscribes to the idea that there's more than one definition of 'service' when the drone is a Four. Still, a compliment's a compliment, right?

Doesn't make it any better when you can't even scream when you're getting run over by a gang of three-ranked D-classes.

I hobble down the path to my quarters like a good little drone, keeping my shoulders back to block both the flow of energon and the pain receptors. I keep my head low, though, my optics, not so much. I glance at the wrists of each person I pass, never at their faces, which would be considered a threat. I'm not in the S Area, and 35's on duty right now, so one false move could mean I get hurt even more than I already am. The hallway I'm in is mostly full of 3s and the rare 2, but no one stops me. I think I hear the sound of gagging chirps behind me as I walk past one group.

I'm heading for a Service door down the corner that will eventually take me back to my quarters. From there I can call 35 up as ask for his help in an impromptu repair session. It's not the first time, won't be the last. I reach the corner. It's more of a crossroads where different paths go to different sectors. It's who's leaning against one of the walls that nearly makes my spark stall.

He's one of the oldest drones, so old that his chassis has aged. J-3912 stares at me. I shrink back and slump my shoulders. Energon spills onto the ground as I do, and I immediately straighten back up again. Too late- the Elder's optics glance at the energon, then look back at me, directly on my face. Our optics lock for a long, long moment. I don't dare break the contact, not even to bow down and beg for mercy. Anything could be assumed to be a threat, but as he stares at me, I realize what he's trying to say.

Get to the medbay, or there will be no high-grade energon.

I bite my lip under my mask to keep it from wobbling. The Elder knows how to threaten me. He knows how much I hate the stuff they give us Fours. What he doesn't know is why I didn't want to go to the medbay in the first place. Primus, I'd rather deal with my horny commander than that femme medidrone!

The Elder's optics narrow at me. I clench my fists, look down, and nod obediently at him, like a good little Four. Turning away from the path that would have led to the Service door, I move to the path that leads to the medbay, the same one that the Elder stands next to. Keeping my head low to the ground, I walk past him, only for something to jab me in the leg. I stiffen up, and look at J-3912 again. This time, he smiles as he meets my optics. I relax everything but my back and shoulders, and nod at him. He takes a risk every time he associates with me. Jets aren't supposed to be seen with Service drones. And yet, without fail, when I need guidance, he's there.

Turning away from the Elder, I walk down the path with a renewed sense of strength in my frame. These hallways remain empty except for the rare Service drone running up and down them, washing the walls, polishing the numbers and letters on the doors, cleaning the floor. They mostly ignore me as I pass. We Service drones don't even care about each other when we're at work. That's a testament to whoever designed us.

It doesn't take long to reach the medbay, as it's designed to be easy to reach from every area of the base. Along with the rare uprisings and rebellions, not to mention machinery accidents, training mishaps, and the more than rare exploding gun prank gone awry, the medi-drones are always a little grouchy. Still… I've been here more than I want to be. Service drones don't get into accidents. When we come into the medbay, it's typically because of violence against us. That makes the medics very paranoid about when we come in. But this time it actually was an accident, right? Anyone could have gotten run over with a bunch of busy D-ranks around. This time they don't have anyone to blame but me. Thank Primus. Otherwise I'd be dead already.

I step up to the large door. The metal is painted a matte shade of dark red, with an oversized, glossy black K in the middle of the door. I hesitate. The door is open a little. I can hear voices through it. One of them is too familiar. I hesitate, then remember the Elder and step close enough so the door's sensors can pick up my signal and open up. Please, Primus please just let another medic be in there too. With others, she stops acting like she owns the place and tones down the insults. The medbay is empty except for two figures. My optics land on the first figure, and I want to groan so badly my vocalizer hurts. She's sitting on a medical berth, light shining off her gray highlights. She's mostly black, but she's got gray in just the right spots. K-1347 is beautiful, but she's got a temper as bad as Lord Megatron's. She hates anyone lower than her. Because she's a level 1, that's everyone but other level 1s and the True Decepticons. Right now she's laughing, but when she sees me?

Too late. I feel her eyes land on me and wince. 1347 leaps to her feet, feet hitting the metal ground with a loud noise. She points her finger at me. "You!" She snarls. "What the frag are you doing here?" My vocalizer almost opens up to answer her, but apparently that was a rhetorical question, because she goes on, and my vocalizer seals up again. "I said the medbay was closed," she said. I keep my eyes glued to the ground."There is no reason for you to be in here!" Her voice drops to a hiss. "Didn't you hear my announcement, Four?"

I did. I nod, keeping my eyes on the stark, stained metal floor.

"What did it say?"

My vocalizer opens up as it recognizes an order. I speak slowly, reciting from memory. "The medbay is closed for an emergency meeting. Vital Emergencies only."

"Good boy." I hate it when people call me boy. 1347 goes on. "Do you know what a 'Vital Emergency' is?" I start to respond, but she starts on without me. "That means only True Decepticons are allowed to come in here! You are not a True Decepticon you stupid-"

"That's enough 47." A voice snaps from across the room. Without meaning to, my head jerks to look over at who'd spoken. It's the mech that had been talking to 1347 when I came in. He's standing now, uninjured, towering over me even from across the room. The body is tall and strong and he's painted in the same shades of dark brown and green that all the soldiers are. I glance at the numbers written on his wrist. C-1730. No wonder 1347 called an emergency meeting. This guy's a Commander. This guy's a 1 too. I'm slagged.

C-1730 walks up towards 1347, a glare in his optics. "47, you know the Level 1 code as well as I do," he says, arms behind his back. He's menacing especially with his mask up, but 1347 meets his gaze without fear.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't harass the lower levels and all that. But look at it 30! It's just a Four! Should be dusting the vents instead of bothering us."

I wince at her careless mention of the common punishment for Fours, not to mention the common location for Fours of my class to be assaulted. C-1730 keeps staring into her optics. "Do you really think that, 47?" the Commander says softly.

1347 winces this time. "W-Well yeah, of course I do! It's just a Four, there's nothing special about it!" Damn it? I fight the urge to react outwardly to the human curse. It's not every day you hear anyone, drone or True Decepticon alike, using human curses anymore. It typically happens when we drones are under high stress. I understand being under the gaze of a Level 1 Commander is stressful.

"Then dismiss him and let's move on." 1347 sighed.

"Right, right." She looks at me, and I stiffen up, optics going back to the ground. "You're dismissed, Four." She's obviously never done this before. "Go back to your quarters until your shift is called. If you're still hurting, come back when your shift is done." 1347 looks over at C-1730 to see if she did it right. He nods.

I let out a soft exhale, unnoticeable. All this trouble to get here, and now I'm being turned away. It's not the first time. Besides, it's probably not that bad an injury. At least J-3912 won't be able to get after me for not trying. I turn. Before I walk one step, I hear 1347 yelp. "Holy slag!" Her voice reaches a pitch I didn't even realize drones could hit. "Four, get back here now! Do not jump, do not jolt your back plates, and do not relax your shoulders!" There's no trace of arrogance and cruelty in her voice now, only medic shock and panic.

A large hand wraps around my arm. "Easy there, kid," C-1730 says. "Listen to her, don't panic now, everything's going to be fine." Don't panic? It's just a cut, right? Maybe a deep one, but it'll heal on its own. That why drones have a self-repair system. Right? There's nothing wrong that a little sheet metal won't fix… Right?

C-1730 half-carries me to a berth to lay me down on the berth on my chassis. I flinch as C-1730's large optics, reflected in the metal on the berth, narrow down at me. He glances at 1347, and I follow his gaze. She has her back to us, gathering medical tools from her box. I glimpse one of them and shift, only for a strong hand to clamp onto my shoulder. I keep my shoulders tight, automatically looking away when she turns back. There's no anger or aggression reflected in those optics, as far as I can see from her image in the metal. She walks up to me, and messes with a spot on my back with the tong-like tool in her hand. I relax as my pain receptors offline.

The First Level Commander taps my shoulder. Turning in his direction, I keep my optics trained low. He tilts my head up with those sharp claws of his, and for a moment I notice the deep shade of his optics. I try to turn away but he grips my chin hard and locks optics with me. He's furious, and my instincts scream at me to beg for my safety. I wish I had access to my vocalizer. "Who did this to you?" I shutter my optics in a blink, as I feel my vocalizer opens up.

He has to know that I can't tell him that. "Beg pardon, sir?" Huh, my voice isn't as hoarse as it usually is after I need to scream but can't.

C-1730 kneels in front of me, keeping our optics locked. "I need an answer before I can do anything to help you. Why did you get run over, and who did it to you?"

Under my mask I bite my lip hard. It's one thing to be under the gaze of a Level 1 Commander. He'll go away eventually. It's another thing to be a Four. The higher classes aren't nice to lower-level drones, especially to Fours like me. If a high class, high rank group of drones decide you've wronged them, you're dead, or worse. Even brushing against one in the hallway could be considered a 'wrong'. Fours are killed by higher ranking mechs all the time, to the point that our average lifespan is shorter than a human's. Somehow C-1730 doesn't realize the danger I'd be in for telling him. Then C-1730 looks past me, back at 1347. I don't turn to look at her but if the look in his optics is any indication, they're conversing over commlink. He looks back at me, optics soft and almost kind now.

"Listen. If I can promise you that you'll be protected from any attacks that might happen to you, will you tell me what happened?" It's a nice sentiment, oddly compassionate for one of the group that is looked up for being rough and gruff. Does it take away my fear? Pit no. I can trust 35, but he's not a Commander. Even nice commanders are connected to the True Decepticons. Who knows what kind of questionable jobs they do on a daily basis under the orders of their True Decepticon commanders? "Please," There's a note of distinct desperation in his voice now, "If you can tell me anything at all?"

I shutter my optics closed, then opened them as impulse took over. "It-it happened…" I hesitate, my logic nodes getting control for a moment, then letting the words slip past anyway. "It happened in the secondary hanger."

The Commander drone looks at me expectantly. "And?"

1347 snorts. "Don't you get it?" she says, and I hear her sigh as C-1730 looks over my shoulder with a blank expression in his optics. "If it happened in the secondary hanger, the security cameras were on!"

Comprehension dawns over C-1730's face. "Then you don't have to say anything. I just have to tell the guys at the security station that a drone came in with his back nearly torn in two." He smirks. I look at him is shock, but he ignores me and continues. "You won't even have to testify. All we need is the video." He shutters his optics and looks at me like it's the first time he's ever seen me. "Didn't you realize how damaged you were?

I shake my head. "N-No, sir. I thought it was just a cut."

C-1730 sighs. "Do yourself a favor and try to keep yourself out of harm's way until this is all sorted out. I don't want those guys coming back for more." Well, he does have some idea of what's going on. He stands up and brushes non-existent dust off his knees. "I'm going to get on that now, before anything can be recorded over. 47, give him some painkilling energon before he leaves." Then he's gone, out the door before I could even ask him why exactly he was helping me. 1347 muttered something about being told her job. My pain receivers jolt back online, bringing back a dull ache in my back. Compared to what I felt earlier, it's an improvement. She gestures me up. I sit up, giving my shoulders a few rolls to get the kinks out.

I watch her as she walks to the other side of the medbay, eager to see if she's going to give me that painkilling energon. Yeah, she types in a code on the wall, revealing a cabinet. She pulls out fourteen little sealed cartridges of painkiller energon. Wow, I've gotten painkiller energon before, but not so much. Maybe about a week's worth, if the medics were feeling nice. Walking back to me, 1347 passes me the energon, and lists off the usual group of back injury dos and don'ts: Don't scrub the plates too hard, don't fall backwards, don't recharge on your back, do take it easy on the floor scrubbing and do avoid touching the wound. I wonder how many back-slaps I'm going to get from a bunch of malicious higher-level drones in the halls. The medidrone looks at me, like she's reading my mind. "Avoid the big hallways unless you're with that Master drone you like so much. And by the way, if you want to interface, do it against the wall, standing or sitting up, or on your side. Any position other than lying on your back will keep it from getting further damaged." 1347 smirks unpleasantly. "Or you could just go celibate. That would save both of you a lot of trouble."

What is up with everyone thinking me and 35 are together? Just because we share a room and hang out all the time doesn't mean we're fragging each other senseless! Even after so long being his friend I haven't gotten used to the presumptions other have when your best friend took care of the humans before getting transferred.

Climbing off the berth, I head for the door, before glancing back at 1347 for any further instruction. She's eyeing my back. "I'll contact your boss and tell him to put you on half-shift until the groves heal. Won't take that long, maybe a few solar cycles." She doesn't realize how big a deal this is to me. Any time away from S-3427 is time well spent. I nod eagerly in thanks, and she waves her hand at me. "Now get outta here. You're wasting my air." Her voice holds no trace of the aggression it held earlier. I don't stick around.

Guess I should head to my quarters first. I really do need to lie down, and 35 should be off-duty so I can chat with him before I go on my shift. Since I'm just another Service drone, no one gives me a second glance, if they even looked up at me the first time. I walk into the Service elevator untouched and content. There aren't many drones on the S-level. Everyone's either sleeping, drinking their fill in the break room or still on shift. I type in the code to the quarters I share with 35, and step inside, locking the door behind me. My quarters are sparse, as everyone would expect with a Four. Two beds, both neatly made up, a floor lamp in between two nightstands, mine empty of everything except a datapad, his cluttered with all sorts of junk. Attached to the foot of the beds are two desks, both with small lamps. The desks curve around the lamp to block out the light, so one drone can sleep while the other works on his paperwork. The connecting wash room lets off steam through the crack in the top of the door. 35's home. That's a relief. Walking over to my berth, I slump down onto it on my chassis, just as instructed. Offlining my optics, I let myself drift off, happy to be safe at home once more.

Someone's shaking my shoulder, calling my name. I shutter away my recharge and look up from where I lay my head. Two brilliant ruby optics watch me, face mask pulled away revealing soft, angled lips turned up in a kind smile as it registers I'm awake. 35 pulls away.

"Rough shift?" He glances at my back, displeasure in those familiar optics. I feel my vocalizer opening up and sigh, sitting up.

"Yeah. Got run over by some D-class jerks on while I was going through the secondary hanger. Slaggers had their ice traction boots on in the middle of the base. Didn't help that some weird Level One Commander decided it was a good idea to prosecute them." I shake my head. "I'm on half-shift for a few days though. Didn't you say something about being bored?"

That last comment was supposed to distract him, but as usual, no such luck. 35 narrows in on the important details. "You ran into a Level One Commander?" His optic ridges furrow. "Was his name C-1730, by any chance?"

I shutter my optics in a blink at him. "Yeah, it was." I scoot forward on the berth. "Do you know him?"

He shrugs, leaning back into his desk chair, which he pulled up to the side of my berth. "We Level One Masters take our orders directly from the Level One Commanders. They considered our work distasteful, which is ironic, really." 35 smiles at me sadly. "But then, you know about the stereotype about us as well as anyone, right?"

The rumors about the Master class… I nod in response to his comment. Since the Master class stayed to themselves, all you ever hear are the cruel types that used to be so common among them. But ever since I got roomed with 35, I've met a lot of Masters, and none of them are like that. The Master class is different now, much to the pleasure of the humans. Today's Masters are chosen to take care of the humans before their Rebirth because they're the kindest, the softest, the ones that act more like Autobots. Someday, 35 will have to go back to that life. He technically still is a Level One Master, even though he works in Service. When his punishment cycle is complete, he'll go back to his job. I'll be alone again.

I force those thoughts away. Don't borrow trouble, I remind myself. There's so much of it around for free. "So, did you take orders from him or something? Was he your boss?"

35 shakes his head. "No, but I dealt with him a lot more than you'd think. My boss and he were really close for some reason. They were polar opposites, yet they loved each other's company. Never made any sense to me, but it wasn't my place to comment." He frowns and sighs, staring at the ceiling. "He's the one that turned my druggie aft in, actually."

My back arches like it's been prodded with a white hot iron spike at the words. "W-What?" I knew about 35 once being a drug addict. Wakeup energon in the morning, recharge energon in the night for dreamless sleep, various other chemicals to keep him going-it left him a battered mech. He doesn't talk about that phase of his life much, or how he recovered. When I ask, he makes some odd comment about there being no 'twelve step' program to help him.

Thanks to that experience, he never touches a lot of the energon the other Level Ones do. It's a personal choice than a practical or forced one. I don't think he trusts himself enough not to relapse.

He nods. "Yup. When everyone else thought I was hopeless, he was there. Monitored me, helped me through the withdrawal symptoms, did everything someone has to help a druggie go sober." 35 looks at me with an odd expression on his handsome face. "I was just wondering if he was helping you because he knows you're my best friend, or if he's just the type of dude to take care of people at random."

Now I shake my head. "No idea. I would have asked if I'd had a chance, but it was like some weird dream. One minute there's this Level One grilling me about getting run over, the next he's out the door talking about checking the security footage and telling 1347 to give me some painkiller energon." I flinch at the mention of that particular item in my possession, but 35 doesn't seem fazed.

"You know the drill," 35 says, "Don't leave it where I can get to it. Put it in that safe I got you. Still got it in a good place?"

"Yeah." I say, "But I can't tell you where." I push the button that pulls back my facemask and smile at him. Even now, even as much as I trust him, I have to remember I can put it back safely and let him see me smile.

35 grins brightly. "Great! I'm glad you remembered that." He looks at me, seeing the look in my optics, and sighs. "Don't worry about me. One of these days I'll trust myself enough to try some high grade or something." He cups his large hand around my cheek. I reach up to take his wrist, nodding. 35 says 'one of these days', but it's never happened. It means I drink my high grade somewhere else, usually with the Elder, who sees that I get to the Service sector safely if I get buzzed.

We're silent for a moment, staring at each other. 35… he's beautiful. I've never been one to deny that. Midnight blue, sleek and strong, big hands. Sometimes I dream about the two of us, what could happen if we decided to go past friendship. I hate those dreams. They mock me. 35 and I can never be together, because he'll have to leave someday to go back to his real class. I can't get attached to him like that. It'll just make separating harder.

"You still have to go to work at your usual time, right?" 35 interrupts my thoughts.

"Yeah," I say, letting go. "You have paperwork to do, right?"

"Mm-hmm." He says, and rolls his chair back to his desk with his feet. "You go on ahead. I'll be awake when you come home. "

I grin, standing up. "Okay 35. See you later." I head to the door, then pause, looking over my shoulder at him. He's watching me, and as our optics lock, he waves me off with a smile on his face. What am I going to do without him? I turn away, walking out the door, heading to my boss' office for my assignment.

Of course, the door is locked when I get there. From behind the door, I hear 'odd noises'. That's the boss, exercising the 'other meaning of service'. So far I've managed to avoid his desk, mostly because of my friendship with 35. The board next to the door lists our assignments. I scan the list, coming to my name and reading over the assignment area. I have only one area instead of the usual two, so 1347 followed up on contacting the boss for a half shift. A sense of horror fills me and I check again, hoping I read it wrong. I didn't. I must have pissed him off. He's sent me up to the Highest Floor.

That's where the True Decepticon quarters are. I've never met a True Decepticon. Seen them from afar and on the holoplayer, yeah, but never actually interacted with one. I want to keep it that way. If the drones that are higher ranking to me are cruel, I don't want to find out how an actual Decepticon will treat me. I take the nearest Service elevator up to the Highest Floor, thankful when the door opens up to only more Service drones like me. I walk through them, brushing past mechs and femmes dusting, scrubbing, sweeping, and careful not to step in any of their messes or areas. They ignore me, focused on getting their work done and leaving as soon as possible.

Stepping towards my assigned area, I see an ornate staircase leading down to some kind of balcony. Hm, the stairs themselves won't take too long, but scrubbing those flourishes will. I walk up to the closet beside the wall and type in my code. The keypad hums, and the door slides open, so I know I'm in the right area. I take out the cleaning fluid, a mop, a few other assorted items, and a rag and begin to clean the floor around the staircase. Doesn't take long to make it shine, so I step down onto the staircase itself, going to the bottom and moving up as I work. The staircase is harder to clean, with lots of little decorative crevasses that look pretty but serve no practical purpose other than to make us Service Drones work harder. I 'm at the top when I put my foot and my weight down onto the next step and miss.

I'm in the air. Time slows to a standstill. Distantly I hear the thud of my mop rolling down the stairs, before I follow it. Pain shoots all over my body as I begin to roll. Every time my back slams against the stairs I want to scream, and it hits over, and over, and over until I hit the bottom. As I lay on the floor, trying to get up the strength to move, I hear the wind through a thin metal mesh screen, the sounds of the city around the base, laughter from far away, someone calling. I'm lying in. My vision dims automatically at the brightness. Suddenly a shadow hovers over me, blocking out the sunlight. A clawed hand seems to materialize in front of my face as my vision steadies.

This is definitely not the hand of a Service drone. We do too much delicate work to have claws. Still, I reach up and take it. The other person grips my hand reassuringly, and with one quick motion, jerks me to my feet. I stumble into him and sway, feeling another hand steady me. I breathe a silent sigh, and look up to see who helped me. He's silver and spiked, with a crown-like protrusion for a helmet and the most brilliant crimson optics to ever grace a mech's face. His appearance is all too familiar, and all too feared. I am staring Death in the face. I am looking at High Lord Conqueror Megatron himself.

No drone should ever lock optics with a True Decepticon without permission. Yet I can't force myself to look away. The jewel- like color of his optics fascinates me. There's no hatred or bloodlust inside them, no desire to harm me for disturbing him. Instead, he examines me intently. Finally he breaks the silence. "You've had work done on your back recently. That fall broke the repair open." The voice is deep, sending pleasant and unwelcome chills through my body. I nod, able to speak now but too frightened to try. Suddenly I'm in his arms, my chassis pressed against his.

I've never been with anyone before, mech or femme. That's rare among my ranks, a virgin Four. 35 knows, but no one else, especially my boss. With our low rank making us vulnerable, a lot of Fours interface for protection. I won't do it. It's why I know the medbay so well. I'm set down on the couch. I can't fight the shiver at the silky fabrics against my frame, so different from the harsh but warm cloth on my own berth. High Lord Conqueror reaches down into a cabinet next to the couch, pulling out a few amateur medical tools. I wince at the sight of them. Am I about to be punished ?

"Turn around," he commands in that rough voice of his as he pulls up one of the chairs around the table and reaches for a pair of tweezers. I obey, shifting myself on the seat so my back is to him. I fight and lose the urge to look over my shoulder at him. "Stay still," the Conqueror commands, "I'm going to get this debris out of your back plates."

Then the pain hits as he pulls at something. I grasp the back of the sofa hard as my whole body shudders, and that massive hand grabs my shoulder to hold me still. Washer fluid floods my optics. The tweezers pause and he turns me to look at him, revealing the washer fluid leaking from my optics. I never thought something so simple could hurt so bad.

But when he sees my face, he frowns. "You can't offline your pain receptors, can you?" His tone answers his own question. The grimace on his face deepens, and I shrink back. "Turn around. This will only take a moment." The pain stops as he twists something on my neck. I let out a long sigh of relief, going limp against the back of the couch. He begins to pick my back clean again. It's a very odd sensation. Not feeling anything when you know something is happening is almost as bad as feeling the pain itself. Almost. I'm not a masochist.

I'm expecting the High Lord Conqueror to pull away after I hear the tweezers being set down, but instead of the chair scraping the floor, I hear the lid of a jar being unscrewed. I glance over my shoulders to see him dipping a sponge into a jar of cream. He leans forward to apply it to my back, before catching my optics and giving me a reassuring smile. Is this the Tyrant, the Megatron that I'm looking at? Finally he onlines the pain receptors to my back. The salve feels good, helping numb the pain. "There," he says. "The debris is gone, and that salve will help you heal faster. Turn around." I obey, keeping my back far from contacting the couch. I don't want to get his nice furniture dirty. "Are you hungry?"

"Y-Yes, sir." My words come slow, and I wince at how I sound, so hopeful. But his energon has to be better than what I get. High Lord Conqueror Megatron doesn't seem to notice. He reaches into a container under the table, and pulls out two cubes. One cube he sets near him. The other he gives to me with an expectant look on his face. "It's not high grade."

I take a sniff of the energon. Dear Primus, I'd give up high grade forever to get good stuff like this. I nod quickly. "It's good, Sir." I reach up to my neck and press a button. My facemask parts. I take a sip, offlining my optics to savor the taste.

"Drone," the High Lord Conqueror interrupts. I online my optics to look up at him, afraid I did something wrong. "Why didn't you tell me your pain receptors were still online?"

He's the High Lord Conqueror, so he knows that Fours can't talk unless spoken to. Maybe he didn't see my identification number. "Sir, I'm just a Four. See?" I hold up my wrist, bearing my name on it.

The Conqueror stares at my wrist blankly. "What does that have anything to do with it?"

By Primus, he really doesn't know. "Fours can't talk unless spoken to, sir. It's part of our programming, just like not being able to remove our facemask unless we press this button." I demonstrate.

Megatron goes still. "You can't talk unless spoken to." It was a statement, not a question, so I looked down and nodded. 'Not even to scream?"

My vocalizer resets, and I answer, "No, sir." I drink more of the energon while he considered my response. Anger flickers through those optics. I fight the urge to fall to the floor and plead for my life, but instead of snapping, he picks up a datapad.

He writes something down, and looks back at me. "Thank you for reminding me of this. That change was only for the Fours in the rebellion."

My body jerks. "S-Sir?" In the last rebellion, the Fours joined the humans, though the trigger for it was vague. But I'd be shocked to find out that any of those Fours are still alive. Scrap, that rebellion was before I woke into my drone body, and I'm not young for a drone.

The silver mech nods, his optics distant. "I was wondering why I sign orders to Rebirth more Fours every time I turned my back. Somehow that temporary programming went into the permanent files. I will look into this immediately."

I'm speechless. This is Megatron, right? High Lord Conqueror, Leader of the Decepticons, the Tyrant that won the war and defeated every enemy that came his way. There's no reason for him to care about something as low as the Fours. "High Lord Conqueror Megatron, we matter to you?" I blurted out.

"Of course you do." Megatron hisses, a dangerous edge to his voice. I bow my head submissively, frightened. A moment later I feel his hand on my chin, and I let him raise my head. Those crimson optics lock onto mine, shining like rare gems. "You are one of mine." I recognize that edge now. 35 uses that tone whenever I tell him about another raped and murdered Four discovered lying in the gutter like a piece of trash, ignored except for disposal simply because they're a Four. "Tell me how you got that first injury."

"It was in the secondary hanger," I said, and tell him the whole story. His grim expression alarms me. He makes more notes on the datapad as I speak. I tell him about C-1730's intentions, and he notes that down as well.

"I will speak to C-1730." Good. C-1730 understands my situation, so maybe I will survive this whole mess. "I would not subject Alpha to such cruelty," he growled. I jolt. Everyone knows the story of Alpha, the first drone. He was Megatron's closest companion, the only drone lover he ever took. According to the stories that circulate, Alpha earned his trust as his most reliable and devoted follower. They became the closest of companions, until Alpha betrayed him. No one really understood why he turned on his beloved leader. Rebellions of both humans and drones litter history, and in all of them, the leader calls himself Alpha. In the last one, when the Fours joined the rebellion with the humans,they came closer than any of the others to overthrowing the True Decepticon leadership. Supposedly, that's why Fours endure such harsh restrictions. "You are dismissed from your duties today." He reaches, and I flinch back automatically, but he only picks up my wrist and looks at my name. "I will notify your supervisor."

I leave in something of a daze. The mop sits untouched. I pick up my supplies and shove them into the closest. I dart back to the elevator, nearly running over a tall rust colored mech in my haste. I barely give him a second glance. All I can think about is the conversation I just had with Megatron. Then the impact of what he just told me hits, and I took off.

No one goes near me as I run through the halls. No slaps to the back, no snide comments, no insults or curses. I reach the door to my quarters so fast I barely realized I was there. My fingers shake hard as I type in the code. I run inside, throwing myself onto my berth and curling into a ball.

"71?" 35 calls out in alarm. My face buried deep into my pillow, I hear him rush up from his chair and hurry to my side.

"71, what's wrong? Are you alright? No one hurt you did they? What happened?" I uncurl to lunge at him and hold onto his neck, breaking into hysterical sobs. I have no idea why I'm crying, I'm not sad, just so mind-numbingly furious I want to strangle something. Through my tears, I get the story out. 35 stiffens as I go on, but I can't stop. I shouldn't be telling him this, but I have to tell someone. The rage returns in a flash and I shove him away, slamming my unprotected fists into the wall. "All this time he had no idea what was happening to us drones! Never thought once that something was wrong even when he had to keep making Fours! All this time we've been treated like disposables, and he says it was supposed to be short term!"

35's arms wrap tight around my chest, and he pulls me into him. His soothing voice hums a song familiar and soothing, a song he probably learned as a Master. After a moment, I fall limp, listening to him. He's singing as much for himself as he is for me. I notice that sometimes, he sings when he thinks. He trails off, stroking my helmet. "You know," he says, "If Megatron wasn't just messing with you, this means the beginning of some interesting changes."

The idea makes me shiver. Change is hard. "But if he means it?" I venture. I want so badly to hope, but I'm afraid.

"High Lord Conqueror Megatron," 35 begins, and pauses. "You have to looks out for what he does, not what he says." I look up at him, meeting his gaze without worrying about his thoughts. "Don't spread this around," he warns. "I guess even Megatron can be careless, but if the word gets out to the Fours that the government didn't even know- It's not a good time for a rebellion." He got up. "Get some of that painkiller energon," he says, and leaves for the washrack. I got up and pulled out a cube, downing it immediately and resetting the lock. Within moments, I feel the effects. As I lay on the berth, the events of the day crowd through my processor. I hear 35 come back, but he just mutters something and goes back to his desk.

Why did Lord Megatron treat me instead of sending me to the medbay? Why did he talk to me as though I was his confidant instead of a service drone sent randomly to clean the stairs and hallway to his quarters?

As I slide into recharge, unable to fight the exhaustion of the day and the effect of the painkiller, I think I heard 35 say, "And so it begins again."


	2. Megatron muses and makes a decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Megatron muses on his past with Alpha and makes a decision. The Fallen appears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Transformers or I would be rich.

 

Recall Revisited Chapter 2

The sky darkens, the city's windows and streetlamps beginning to glow with light. I wait, I watch, I remember.

Just when I think that no drone or human would never find a reason to rebel again, the reason appears from nowhere. Just like Alpha, now known as S-4371, to stumble back into my life with the problem written on his back.

"Brooding again, Megatron?" I'm so used to the Fallen's sudden appearances now that I just turn to look at him. "Where is your processor wandering?"

I considered as I walked over to pull cubes out for us. I turn back to the skyline. "All these years," I say, "all that time, we were going about ruling the humans the wrong way." I take a sip of my energon and shake my head. "We should have been winning their hearts from the start, not beating them into submission."

"Remembering Alpha, I see. You really think that would have made such a big difference?" The Fallen sounds amused at my speculation. Why?

I lean back in my seat. "Yes. I believe friendship, not war, would have brought us closer to our goals." I take another sip of my energon. I don't mention that Alpha's rebellions brought about most of the changes. After his shell died, always after he died, I would look at the problem again, and quietly make changes while his human host went for recycling. I try to keep up with where his host body goes, but most of the time I'm too busy dealing with the aftermath.

"There is a bright spot to gaining the human race's trust." I give him an inquiring look. He smirks, taking a longer sip of his energon now. "It means that, for the first time in any of his lifetimes, Alpha will have no chance of gaining the humans' support when he rebels again."

"True," I say, and I frown, remembering why Alpha rebelled. "But there's another reason, unless I can correct it. Do you realize that Fours can't talk unless they have permission? "

"Of course," he says, as though the answer's obvious. "They started the last rebellion and sided with Alpha and the humans."

I corrected him, "The restrictions were for those Fours alone. The new ones haven't done anything. Why should they still be punished? With those restrictions come abuses from other drones."

"So? They're only Fours. They don't matter." He waved a hand in dismissal.

"You said the same about the humans. So did Shockwave, and you know what happened to him."

Master shuddered. All native Decepticons do when they remember what happened to Shockwave. "Don't we all? But these are the lowest level of drones. The others will keep them in line."

I couldn't believe he missed the pattern. Every time we ignore this kind of problem, Alpha rises because the downtrodden follow him. The harsh restrictions on the Fours resulted from just how close the last uprising came to succeeding. But the Fallen never sees matters that clearly, so I give him reasons he understands. "We're making new Fours right and left, and that costs. That's not to mention the expense of repairs and training, and the collateral damage to other drones due to fallout from the violence. " I paused. "And Alpha's current incarnation is a Four." A breeze blew in, and I inhaled the fresh air.

He only smiled. "I saw him. He almost knocked me down in his hurry to get out of here." He paused. "Do you think he's recalled yet?"

I shook my head before tilting my head back and look at the stars. So few can be seen when the lights are on in the city. You have to go outside the city, past the city limits and into the country where Masters and their associated humans farm food for the city humans, to see even the brightest of stars. Once I was among those stars. I feel a longing for my home world, destroyed in our war. Cybertron-only a dream now, a dead world floating forlornly in space the last time I obtained any information on it. As though reading my processor, he asked, "I wonder what happened to your brother?"

"Wandering in space somewhere, since Cybertron's dead. We've had no contact for vorns, not since that signal we started to chase down that led nowhere." Shockwave brought that information when he came to Earth to report the final death of the planet. Only one ship arrived. I let him take over the administration when I went to deal with that Autobot signal that came out of nowhere. That was a mistake. Shockwave regarded anyone not Cybertronian as objects to used. His experiments reflected that brutal attitude. Alpha found out about his experiments, and broadcast the information on the main data net. In the end, all that was left of Shockwave was a small pile of parts. They killed Soundwave, too. That was one rebellion where I wasn't the primary target. The report arrived when I discovered a old, dead base with the Autobot signal coming from an old beacon. Only my timely return stopped the chaos.

There are so few of true Cybertronians left. I can't find  the Autobots. I send my troublemakers to look for them. They used to come back and report frequently, refuel, and leave again. Since Shockwave came back, I haven't seen any of them. Most of the hatchlings died when we tried to bring them out of the pods. We pulled out the Decepticons hiding on the Moon with the wreck of the  _Ark._ We found nothing in the Ark but a safety door opened to space and ruin. I think the humans destroyed the space bridge somehow, and scavenged the remains of Sentinel. All we found were pieces.

"I doubt it. Sooner or later he's going to turn up again. Primes always have goals." In an abrupt change of subject, he added, "If you can't kill Alpha, isolate him, make some kind of token change, and keep him here and happy with you. If he doesn't recall, he won't rebel."

"You never did like Alpha." Of course he didn't. Drones come from humans, and the Fallen hates humans.

Those sharp red optics turn back to me. He finishes his cube. "I don't like how easily you fall under his charms. His origins were one thing, but you seemed so happy with him, until he turned on you." He sets down the cube. "You were sparkbroken when he rebelled. You should kill him, you know. He'll always turn on you." With that, he got up and left.

I stand and ponder the situation. Inevitably, my mind wanders instead. I remember Alpha's warm arms, his gentle touch, all the pleasant nights recharging in his arms. I remember how he used to hang on my every word, anticipate my needs. He created the lotion I used on his back tonight. I remember the beginning, Sam Witwicky standing on that street, buildings in ruins around us and facing me.

_"Boy, what have you done?" I saw Optimus retreating, taking his band with him. More planes appeared, and Starscream was beginning to take a beating. There were more ground forces coming._

_"I gave him the Cube, Megatron." He stank of fear, but he stood his ground. When he went on I knew why. "You want it, you'll have to go after him." He watches me intently. "There's no reason for you to stay on Earth. Optimus will be taking the AllSpark into space."_

_I looked at him, and could not believe both his courage and his naiveté. "Boy," I say, "Do you really think that I came here simply to find the AllSpark and_ **_leave_ ** _?" Then I grabbed him._

I remembered the year it took to build that first shell, and how much I learned about humans as I did so. Under pressure, Sam exploited every bit of opportunity he got, escaping and being caught several time. Once I had him firmly secured, he almost escaping to death right in front of me. I wanted that courage and ability in my servant. 

_I found him hovering over the integrating shells for Beta and Gamma. "When will they be ready, Master?" Those bright red eyes looked up at me with pleading._

It turned out that by blocking all of his human memories, we blocked all of his life experience. Oh, he worked fine. I had only to tell him to do the a task and he did it, but he acted like a sparkling. His innocence and eagerness to please meant he got petted by half my soldiers (and me, though at the time I would never admit it). His processor worked fine, so he picked up quickly that as a drone he remained inferior . He was desperately lonely. So when his friends showed up, I decided they could join him. All of the initial drones became good, dependable, loyal servants. Alpha remained my favorite. He matured to become my reliable shadow: making my appointments, arranging for everything I needed and in general caring for me. I brought him into my berth thinking I risk loving him.

Then he recalled.

_I loomed over Alpha as he faced me, sword in hand. So far he kept me off with the laser, but now it lay on the ground, used up and useless until charged again._ " _Do you think you can fight me, Alpha?" Don't make me kill you, I thought. There has to be a reason why you're doing this. Tell me, let me make it right, and I can bring you back to my arms again._

" _Yes," he said, backing up as he said it. We were in a dead end ravine._

" _Can you win?" I asked, and he flinched as I stalked closer. I wanted him to beg for mercy, so I could grant it. He found he had nowhere else to retreat, and stopped, still holding the sword defiantly. I'd have it out of his hands as soon as I got close enough. "Why are you doing this?"_

_I expected hate, or fear, or despair. Instead, pain radiated from him. "Because of my people," he said, waving at the air. "I remembered, Megatron. I recalled every moment of my human life. I did this to them. I have to make it right."_

" _You're doing this for the humans?" I said incredulously. I stopped moving. "You aren't human anymore. You're a drone, better in every way!" Smoke from the plants burning behind me rose and stank._

" _I remember how I got this way," he spat back, and the venom in his voice hurt. "How much of what I feel is programmed? How can I believe it's real?"_

_I vent, thinking I've found his problem. "No one can program love, Alpha. Loyalty, yes. Love, no. Surrender. Surrender and come home. I'll be lenient." I reached my hand out._

_He ignored it. "Why wouldn't you listen? It was so simple-all you had to do was release some food surplus from other areas and relocate the humans in that sector. The tsunami ruined the fields there. They rioted because they were hungry. I told you!"_

_I couldn't believe it. Alpha, my beloved, the most loyal of my own up to and including Soundwave, was defying me over the fleshlings. "You little fool. There are still two billion of the short-lived fools, plenty to spare."_

" _I was organic," he said, anguish in his voice, "and I made the mistake that let you conquer them. If you would just listen-I studied this, we can make it better without-"_

" _Stop this nonsense and come home." I waved at the ravine. "Look around you! You're trapped." I moved swiftly and his sword flew into the air, landing point first in the sandy ground and quivering there. "You can't win and you know it! Be reasonable, Alpha!"_

" _I can't win," he agreed sadly, but as I bent to reach for him my head hit rock that shouldn't be there. As he stepped back, the ravine reformed as a hologram dissolved. He backed into an opening under a jutting cliff. "Unless I cheat." I stepped back to maneuver, just as other holes in the ravine walls opened and the shooting started. I took one last look at Alpha's hard face, before the pain was too much and I flew._

I don't know why that particular file comes to mind now. It's one of the ones that hurt the most, I think. The other-

_I know he's protecting something. For a full Earth year, he's held me off by never fully engaging, running a guerilla war, hiding in all the difficult terrain this planet offered. Then he and the other drones appeared in one of the main spaceports. Epsilon and Delta held off a small army of military drones until Starscream got to them from overhead, and they lay in stasis now. Gamma and Beta locked themselves in a communications room, and Barricade prepares to gas them even now, trying to get them before they suicide. I can't figure out what they're doing. But Alpha stayed, knowing in a confrontation he had no chance against me, knowing I wouldn't allow anyone else deal with him. But he will not stop fighting, getting up again and again despite my blows to the most painful targets in an effort to beat him into submission._

" _It's over, traitor," I say. My spark aches. I can't forgive him. I would lose my throne, and rightly, for such a weakness. He doesn't respond. I gesture for the closest soldier to take him, when he reaches into his exposed throat and pulls the main fuel line._

_I drop my sword and rush to him as the energon gushes. Before my eyes, his shell opens, and ejects a naked human body dotted with implants. I snatch up the Sam Witwicky host and go. He is not getting away from me so easily. As I fly to the nearest rebirth center, I contact Starscream and Barricade to bring the other drones. We'll do the same to them. I made them, and I am not letting them go._

I shook my head, irritated at myself. Like it or not, I needed to figure out what to about both Alpha in his latest incarnation, and the Fours. I run the conversation over in my processor again. So, this C-1730 intended to investigate. Fine-he could report to me. I made calls, including one to 71's supervisor.

Orns later, I sit in my office wondering if Primus loves me or hates me. Hates me, because thinking about this situation with the Fours and the massive changes involved give me a processor ache. Loves me, because this time I possess the opportunity to head off this rebellion before it can start. 

That's a first.

Every single element from the last rebellions is staring me in the face. The injustice to a large lower caste, the buildup of resentment and hate as a result, the huge difficulty in making a change mark the beginnings. The other element? Standing in a circle around my desk are five drones, all Ones except for S-4371. 71 looks frightened as he stands nervously by M-1735, his roommate, friend, and protector. My spark constricts as I remember looking at the datapad with 71's medical record. From what he's brought himself to tell me, he's managed to survive as long as he has with the protection of 35 and an elderly drone of the Jet class who feeds him high-grade and advice. K-1347 provided the medical records of other Fours, and between those and the information from the others, I know the culture of violence against the Fours runs deep. This is not going to be easy.

"I have met with all of you regarding the attack on S-4371 here. As a result, I have decided that the restriction on the Fours have gone on long enough," I announce, and watch while the reaction rippled through the five of them. I gauge who has and who has not recalled by that reaction. M-1735 and C-1995 stiffen with shock before they control themselves and assume blank expressions. C-1730 nods and his eyes go a little blank, no doubt making plans. K-1347 manages no reaction at all. I see S-4371 look directly at me, hope in his optics. That one reaction makes this whole undertaking worth pursuing.

"C-1730, you will lead a special task force to find and deal with the worst offenders with C-1995. I leave you full discretion on choosing your team members. M-1735, while I am rescinding your punishment detail, I am not sending you back to the humans yet. With your experience with the Service section, I want you to head the reorganization. K-1347, I expect you to work with M-1735 to reprogram the changes in the existing Fours. "

All the drones exchange worried glances. "My lord," K-1347 said, "once the word gets out on the changes, there might be some," she bit her lip, "fallout. Right, 71?" I remember that 71 still can't talk without being directly addressed.

"Some of the ones running protections rackets might arrange accidents to cover their tracks," S-4371 agreed, "unless we can hit all the sectors at once, or complete the changes and activate them all at once." Even as he said it, he slid into the shadow of 35 and 30. Jealousy shot through me. He should be hiding in my shadow, not theirs. I reminded myself I have already made arrangements and focus on what he says. The other drones murmur in agreement.

35 says, with a glance at 71, "My lord, I have a suggestion." I wave for him to go on. "If we use the old human internet network that the comlink system is based on, we can send out the activation to all the Fours at once. " He looks at 47, who brightens and nods.

"The download can be done in groups," she says, "by the local medical-" So, 47 wants nothing to do with this matter; 30 seems to be dragging her into it. I wonder idly if they are lovers.

"No," 30 interrupts. "The K's won't put on any kind of priority because it involves Fours or they might actively block it if they're playing the protection game."

47 gives 30 a nasty look. "Medic's don't prioritize Fours because they're in all the time anyway," she snaps at him. "They'd just wait until they came in for some small break or another."

I lean over my desk in her direction, and she flinchs just a little. "So the medics are well aware of the problem," I purr, "and they've ignored it instead of bringing it to someone's attention." Actually, this surprises me, as many medics possess some real concern for their patients.

She moves her gaze to the floor. "Almost every new medic does report, and we slapped down by our superiors. Fixing every minor injury costs and we get reamed for going over budget," she told the floor, making it clear that she suffered one or both quite some time ago. That might account for her attitude. "I don't know of a medic running a protection ring," she added to 30. "That's mostly the service supervisors, like S-3427, and half of them do it so they have enough workers to get the work done from day to day. Right?"

"Not S-3427," both 35 and 71 chorus, and share a short amused glance. "He does it to cover his own desk," 35 goes on. "How 71 managed to hold him off until I came along I don't know, but I do know everyone else in his section takes turns." All of us look at 71, who cringes, but manages to speak up when 35 and 30 encourage him.

"He prefers consent to rape," 71 tells us. I have to strain to hear his voice. "He gives me all the more difficult assignments, with hints that I could spend the day 'assisting' him instead. I think he was about to order me instead when my roommate got killed and 35 moved in." He shot 35 a grateful look. I reminded myself again that I've made arrangements. "He didn't make the pitch for the protection thing, though. One of the other Fours does. Most of them don't mind, 'cause if the other drones know they can get you through a ring, they don't drag you into a duct and you're not as likely to get beat up." Silence followed that little recital. The reality of a Four's life, stated as dry fact. I look at the datapad that holds 71's medical record, and remember that for every treated injury, there was at least one more that he or 35 took care of in the privacy of their quarters.

"All right," I say. "You have your orders. We meet again in ten orns to report progress. 35, you'll get quarters suitable to your status. "Alarm spread over both their faces. "71, I'm reassigning you as well, as my personal attendant. Go with 35 to clear your quarters, and wait for 30 to escort you to sign off with S-3427."

I watch the reaction to that little announcement in all of them. 35 and 95 wipe their faces of all expression. Well, Beta and Epsilon, you've recalled. I knew about Beta when I saw the drug problems 35 had, and his fierce protection of 71. 95 is his supervisor, and I've noticed a few incidents. 47 and 30 only look startled. To elevate a Four to that position is unusual in this time, but in the past Fours performed valet service and such for native Decepticons. After the last rebellion, those positions went to higher ranking drones. Gamma and Delta haven't recalled. I hope they don't, but I can't count on it.

71? 71 lights up like neon advertisement in the commercial quarters. He reminds me so much of Alpha in his first shell when he's happy like that.

I want to keep that expression on his face forever.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N : The prequel to this story, "The Making of a Drone" is best read after this chapter, though it is not needed to follow the story line.


	3. S-4371: New voice, new job, new decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> S-4173 has a new job, and he is the first to get some recoding. But someone does not appreciate the changes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Transformers. Sigh.

"I can't tell you how much better my life's gotten," I tell J _-_ 3912 over my second cube of high grade. Then I giggle. High grade tends to hit me hard. I 'm not worried. 12 will get me back to the main corridor at the Highest Level, and no one bothers me from there. I live in a room in Megatron's quarters now, and he's made it clear that anyone who messes with me answers to him. It's great to feel so safe.

"I'm glad to hear that, "12 says, sipping his cube in appreciation. I brought the high grade this time, some of the kind that Lord Megatron gets. He's told me a few times I could have a cube, and I hoarded five cubes for today. "Tell me what you're doing for our master now. Last time I talked to you, you were getting a little bored because you got his quarters reorganized and had trouble finding enough to do."

I grin. "Not anymore," I say. "I'm working in his office now. "As I tell 12 about being Lord Megatron's new receptionist, I remember the day he decided.

_He brings me down to clean his office and leaves for a meeting. The place is a mess, with datapads overflowing the desk. To clean the desk, I have to move the datapads, so I sort them as I go. He gets back from his meeting as I finish the floor. "What's this?" he asks, looking at the stacks._

" _These are from administration," I say, and list how I've sorted the others. He gives me a considering look, and I gaze at the floor, worrying if I overstepped._

" _Very good," he says, and I head out to clean the outer office. "Wait." I stop. "Get rid of those," he waves at my supplies, "come back and help me." I put the stuff on the desk in the outer office. He sets me to skimming the largest stack, the admin datapads, while he goes through the others. I organize them again, and go over what each one holds when he looks over at me. "Now just why would Dead End send me this slag? That's Admin's department."_

_Despite my vocalizer opening, I hesitate, but he looked like he wants an answer. "In a lot of them, he says that if he doesn't hear from you within so many orns, the matter will end," I point out._

" _I can't look at all this scrap in that amount of time," Lord Megatron says. "What's the point?"_

" _That way he can say you refused the request," I explain. Lord Megatron looks at the datapad, and then at me. We go over what the requests consist of again._

" _Some of his clerks got caught taking bribes," he muses. "I think I need to have a talk with Dead End and what his responsibilities in directing Admin are, including not piling my desk with his work. What's my schedule like?" I tell him he has three appointments scheduled, all with either department heads or True Decepticons. "Can't put those off. When can I get him in? "I consult his schedule and tell him he has an opening in three orns. "Good. Send him the message from my computer in the outer office. Schedule to be here that day. In the meantime, put these on that table over there." More and more he asks me to do this kind of chore for him when he notices me cleaning in his quarters; I have his schedule memorized. I get the outer office clean and am putting up the supplies when he calls me in again. "Plan on coming in again tomorrow," he says. "47 should have that upgrade ready soon. Do you want to be the first to get it?"_

"I got the upgrade yesterday and 47 thinks it's had time to integrate." That's why I'm here with 12. Megatron told me to go to someone I felt safe with, and wait for activation. 35 walked me to 12's quarters. I got some assessing looks and a Three level J-class asked 35 if he would share, but no one else bothered us.

12 sips his cube thoughtfully. "She as mean as ever?" he asks.

"No," I say, and drink some more myself. Primus, but this is good stuff, just enough bite to tell you it's high grade. I'm so buzzed already. "She's been better. Not just to me, but to the other Fours. She said something a little odd tonight, asking me if I minded being a guinea pig. Then she switched it to test subject." I wave my cube, sloshing some of it. "I told her I didn't care if she called me rusted slag and painted it on my back as long as I could complain about it later without asking permission. "

"Here's to that," he says, and raises his glass. "Which reminds me. I saw S-3427, and he did not look happy. I wouldn't think he liked losing you just when 35 got reassigned."

"Ha," I snort. "He thought he could get me on his desk at last." I tell him about that day.

_I show up with 30 for my exit interview, as ordered. The other Fours about to go on shift see us coming. One is S-4222, who tried talking me into the protection ring several times after seeing me fixed up again and again. When he sees me coming with 30, he gets a 'data crunch' look on his face. "S-3427 in?" 30 asks. I never gathered much in the way of personal possessions, and 30 subspaced them for me, so there was no way they could tell I was reassigned._

" _He is, sir," 22 says. As I walk in, he adds to 30, "Be easy on him, sir, I think it's his first time outside of that Master that got transferred." I turn and record the look on 30's face to commit to my long-term databanks._

_My supervisor is leaning against his desk, smugness just oozing from him. "So, M-1735 is going back to his humans early. I'm sure you'll miss him. But don't worry. I'll see you don't get lonely. Come here." I stop and shake my head. His face gets ugly. "Do you want to clean the secondary hanger again?" he asked, his voice dropping. "If you were under my protection, you wouldn't be on half-shift right now, would you? Wouldn't have gotten knocked around again so you needed more time to heal, would you?" I start backing up. "Get over here, 71. Or the next time, it'll be that pretty face instead of your back."_

" _Is that a threat?" 30 asks, stepping in behind me._

_S-3427 wipes the snarl from his face and voice immediately. "Sir, I do ask that you contact me ahead of time for service," he says. "I need to discuss matters with S-4371 at this moment." He stands up from the desk and makes a grab at my arm, his smirk coming back." We can share him, if you like."_

_30 shoves S-3427 away from me. "I see now why Lord Megatron sent me with 71 here," he snapped. "Check your messages. He's been reassigned." I enjoy the shock on my now ex-supervisor's face. He scurries over to his desk and checks._

" _I see," he says stiffly. "In that case, just return in about a half an hour and I'll-"_

" _I was ordered to stay and escort him back," 30 tells him. "Get him out of your database and be quick about it. I've got other matters waiting for me." He turns, and when he has his back to S-3427, he smirks. I have my face mask up, but I think he sees my grateful smile anyway._

"I wondered why he was so torqued off," 12 says, and finishes his last cube. "Scrap, that was good." He muses as I sip a little more of my own. "So you've got the programming and you're waiting to get the release?" I nod. He hesitates, and I look at him curiously. "You say that Lord Megatron's made you his receptionist," he says, looking hard at me. I nod. "And you have a room in his quarters. What other services has he wanted?"

I sigh and look at my cube for a moment. "Nothing else. But don't pass that around, OK? Nobody's bothered me since that rumor went around that he's fragging me through the berth every night. "

_In the meeting with Lord Dead End, Lord Megatron tells him in no uncertain terms to deal with his own responsibilities or have someone else promoted over him who would. He sends me to be sure all the datapads from Admin leave with Lord Dead End's personal assistant, a One called A-1849. The Admin One thinks they no longer need me. He waits until I clear most of the datapads to one side and leave some room before he flips me onto my back on the desk. "Let's see what Lord Megatron likes so much about you, Four," the A-class One purred. He pins me down and presses the button that releases my face mask. "Pretty," he approves, keeping me pinned with an expertise that tells me he's done this a lot._

_One moment he has me down, and the next his weight lifts as he slams into the wall. I stumble to my feet as Lord Megatron looms over the cringing One." I sent my assistant to fetch something, not be raped," he growls. "Find someone your own level to frag."_

" _He's only a Four-"Dead End comes out and watches, but says nothing._

" _Fours are Decepticons, too." He lists a sharp punishment detail. "That's for interfering with my assistant, and fragging on duty, but you can spread the word that the next drone that touches my assistant will lose a level, if he's lucky enough not to lose an arm." I gather up the last of the datapads with shaking hands. Lord Megatron takes them from me and hands them to the drone after he stands._

" _Get those back to the office," Lord Dead End says, and the One leaves."Notch that one up a few levels if you don't want him bothered," he advises Lord Megatron, nodding his head at me,"or, better yet, let him stick to the cleaning and get an Admin. I'll send over a few recommendations."_

" _S-4371 has already done a better job than the last four of protocol-glitched idiots assigned," Lord Megatron tells him, "and he doesn't answer to you. Only to me." That last comment comes out in a hiss. Lord Dead End bows and leaves abruptly._

Not two days later 35 tells me about the rumor when our little committee met to discuss the Four objective. "Lord Megatron offered to raise my level," I tell 12, "but I need to stay a Four if we're going to get anywhere with these changes."

I remember the mech that Lord Megatron calls the Fallen- and his master- speaking to me about that. "Why not ask Lord Megatron to raise your level?" he asked me. "Then you'll have every benefit you deserve, and you can forget about the others. You're better than they are, anyway, with all the work you do." I bow my head and nod, saying nothing, but I decide that whatever this mech wants me to do, I'm doing the opposite. He scares me, but I don't like him at all. "Do you remember your time as a human?" I shook my head, wondering where in the world that came from. Some drones recall, but not that many. Why should I?

He says, "I guess that makes sense. But if you don't want your level raised, why the long face?"

"I don't want it to be a rumor," I blurt out and look down at my cube. After a long embarrassed silence, 12 takes the cube from me, though it's still half full. "I think I'd better not have any more," I admit.

He gives me an odd look, says," Here's to your new programming," and downs it.

I gape at him before touching my vocalizer. It's not sealing. "How about this?" I ask through the comlink.

"Works for me," I hear in my head, and I let out a triumphant whoop, both out loud and through the comlink to 47 and 35. They cheer back, along with an order to come back to the medbay from 47. I start for the door, and stagger a little.

12 laughs and grabs my shoulder to steady me. "Take your time," he advises. On the way back, we get a lot of amused looks, and several invitations for a threesome. After the second, 12 says, "You know, you are quite a beautiful mech." I stop and shutter my optics. Where is this coming from? He's not making a pass, is he? He pushed me and I got going again. "Get that look off your face, you're far too young for me. S-3427 figured it was a matter of time, so he put the word out that he was bringing you into his protection circle. I hear he had quite a list under your name before 35 came around and put a stop to it. He still resents that. "He stopped at the medbay. "Be careful, 71."

I smiled at him, still buzzed on high grade and the joy of free communication. "Don't worry. I'll be fine," I say, and go in the medbay where 47 and 35 wait impatiently to whisk me into a private room. "Hey," I yelped, stumbling a little, "give a mech a second!"

"Sounds like you've had a third and a fourth," 47 observes as I struggle onto the berth. 30 and 95 appear. "Weren't you celebrating a little early?"

"I just lifted a couple with an old friend," I defend myself, and to my embarrassment I sway a little.

"How many? Two?" 35 asks, and I nod sheepishly, not wanting to mention that I never finished the second.

Lightweight," 95 snorts. I hunch as the others laugh. "Old is right if that was J _-_ 3912," he goes on. I look at him, surprised he knows the old jet drone. "He's sure seen a lot, that one. What advice did he give you this time?"

"Look out for S-3427," I say, sobering a little. They assure me that they'll walk me to the Highest Level and I relax into the general good mood.

"Well, you've proven that the comlink works," 47 said, "and you seem to making up for lost time on the talking." She turns to make a note on the system and I make a face behind her back. The others all snort with laughter, but I only give her an innocent look when she turns around. "Since we're all here, let's discuss the order of the upgrades."

So far, the argument on the upgrades ended in an even split. 47 and 30 think that it would be easier to plan an area at a time; 35 and 95 think we should arrange for everyone to get the upgrade in one day, each Four coming in on their shift on that day. I listen as they argue again. I don't give an opinion as I think the second matter is much more important. When they come to the usual impasses, I ask,"So how are we avoiding a rash of 'accidents' when the upgrade is activated?"

Everyone goes quiet for a time, looking at each other. "Do you have an idea, 71?" 47 finally asks.

I nod. Without the remains of the high grade running through me, I'd never have the bolts to even mention my thoughts, but that last half-cube still hums through my systems. "If I understand correctly, it takes a while for a supervisor or enforcer to build the connections for a protection circle, right?" Everyone nods. "Do a massive transfer of the service supervisors and anyone else running a ring, and make sure the Fours stay put. If the activation happens after the transfers, they don't have time to make the connections they need. "

"And with the task force investigating outside the regular police force," 30 says thoughtfully, "that should limit the energon spill." He smiles. "You've got a processor behind that pretty face." I look away in pleased embarrassment, and the warmth I feel has nothing to do with the high grade and everything to do with the praise. "We've got a good group of drones set up for this task force. " His face goes hard. "It's going to be interesting for a few months, before matters settle out."

"Better than the alternative," I say, and everyone nods, even 47. Everyone looks at me, the Four who's brought all of them together, and I look back. Something in their expressions puzzles me a little. Just that I'm the example of who they're doing this for, I decide, and get down. We all leave at the same time, since all of us have quarters in the same direction. 47 leaves the group first. As we keep going, I glance at her, and wonder at the sudden odd look on her face. 35 is next, but he's smiling. He still won't touch the high grade or any other kind of altered energon, but he's happier now than I've ever seen him.

95 and 30 talk like old friends, while I dream of entering Lord Megatron's quarters and greeting him without being addressed first. While we wait for the service elevator, 95 says, "I'd like to introduce you to the guys in my squad. I'm certain you'll like them. They don't like seeing the Fours abused, say it's too easy for the matter to get out of control."

"How long have you known them?" I venture as we walk.

"Not too long, about a generation," he says, meaning twenty years. "One of them is the biggest Commander I've ever seen. He's like 30 here, doesn't like to see the smaller ones like the Fours knocked around. Got one of those commanding voices, too. He'd be leading a squad by now if not for the soft stuff."

"He's not the only one," 30 says. "Most of our squads believe in justice. Besides, they fight like true Cybertronians when they fight-What the hell!" That comes out in a shout, as the elevator opens and five drones rush out. Two apiece hit 30 and 95. I see A-1849 and the Three level D-drones that ran over me in the secondary hanger before someone shoves me against the nearest wall.

"Hurry it up!" S-3427 shouts, holding a shock baton to my neck. When I struggle, he activates it, and my knees buckle. He shuts it off and keeps me from falling. "Stay still if you know what's good for you," he hisses, his face an inch from mine. "We're going to teach you your place, Four. "

30 and 95 stand back to back, fighting with the expertise of Commanders. They hold the others off, but they can't get to me. "We didn't expect two of them!" A-1849 yells back. "Get him in the elevator and go, we'll meet you!

Fours have no weapons and we have no fight subroutines in addition to the communication restrictions. They expect no trouble from me, only my escort. Blind panic washes over me. I know exactly what I can expect if S-3427 gets me to that elevator. I headbutt him hard and shove at the same time, forcing him back a few feet, and he drops the baton. I feel something under my Decepticon symbol hum as S-3427 grabs the baton again and lunges at me. The moment he touches me, a jolt goes through him, strong enough to throw him into the two D-class Three drones attacking 30 while the baton in his hand shorts out and shocks everyone in the pile.

I wilt. Whatever that is, it drains energy. I hear shouts from other drones and start to panic again as Commander Ones race up, but 95 yells to grab all of the attackers, and they do. One Commander, C-6784, stops by me. "Are you hurt?" he says urgently. Even in my numbed state, I appreciate the sound of his voice, deep and reassuring. I can tell he's the one 95 told me about, since he's the largest Commander I've ever seen, and he exudes kindness as he looks me over for injuries. I shake my head, and he moves to grab a groggy S-3427 and put him in stasis cuffs as the others subdue the rest of the attackers and 95 helps 30 up and away from the pack.

"What's the meaning of this?" I hear, and look up to see Lord Megatron bearing down on the mess. He stops beside me, bristling with rage as the five attackers look at each other in rising panic. The Commanders bow and step back respectfully. "95, is this your squad?" When 95 confirms, he says, "Beginning your assignment early, I see. Good. Report."

As they obey, I see an audience gather, mostly Ones and Twos, but a few Threes and Fours peek in from some side corridors. Lord Megatron looks down on A-1849. "What did I tell you when you attacked my assistant in my office?" he asked.

"My lord, you never deal with Fours, they take advantage if you don't keep them in their place," A-1849 starts desperately and loudly, and his buddies mutter agreement. I feel sick as I see some in the crowd nod. He regrets opening his vocalizer as a True Decepticon foot kicks him in the gut.

"Is a drone daring to correct his High Lord Conqueror? " The Admin curls over his dented chassis. "I work daily with this one, who does Admin work better than you do. Which arm do you want to lose?" He looks at me. "Well, 71? Which arm, do you think?"

No matter how much I hate these glitches, I only want to go home. "My lord, if I remember correctly, a level was mentioned as well. The medics will only put his arm back." Just then, 35 and 47 elbow their way through the crowd. They see me and I see 35 sag in relief. I send them an apologetic explanation through the comlink as Lord Megatron beckons them forward and tells them to check me out.

As they do, I see reaction going through the crowd before the murmurs begin, both amused and shocked. The Fours try to shrink back into the shadows but they stay, wanting to hear Lord Megatron's response. Then I look over at my attackers. They look back at me in blank horror, with a dawning awareness of just how deep in slag they are. 95 and 30 try to stay passive, but their mouthparts keep twitching while the rest of the Commanders show no reaction at all.

"I believe there is merit to that suggestion," he says slowly, nodding. When my attackers start wailing, he shouts, "Silence!" and to 47 "Offline their vocalizers." When she finishes, he says, "Admin, you deliberately and with malicious intent disobeyed a direct order from your Lord Conqueror. S-3427, you were informed that S-4271 became my personal attendant, and deliberately targeted him. The rest of you callously injured this drone, and when punished for that, sought revenge in direct defiance to your orders on being released from that punishment. For these crimes, proven in my direct presence, I sentence all of you to reduction in level, down to Four. You will each be sent to a different sector, with all the restrictions currently existing on Fours. Commanders," he looked at the squad, "take them to the military prisoner holding and see the sentence is carried out tomorrow."

He puts a hand on my shoulder as he speaks, and I lean against him gratefully. The crowd thins out as the commanders take the prisoners away. The large one that spoke to me hauls S-3427 and one of the D-calls drones away without showing any effort at all. "95, 30! Here," Lord Megatron commands, and gathers 35 and 47 with his optics. "To my office."

I take two steps and weakness hits. Before I fall, Lord Megatron sweeps me up and strides off, the others following. I just lay my head on his shoulder, letting the thrum of his spark sooth me. "Thank you, my lord," I murmur, and he pats my back.

Once in the office he sits me on the desk. "Well," he says dryly, "So far I know that your vocalizer and your comlink upgrade work. So tell me, did the defense mechanism work as well?" I nod. The others look lost. "Before the last rebellion, the Fours possessed a defense consisting of the ability to shock an attacker. It has to be a life or death situation, because once it activates, it drains the Four's power until they rest and refuel."

"So that's what happened to S-3427," 95 says. "I wondered why he flew back like that. That's how the squad had time to get to us. "

"Good thing both of us were there," 30 added. "Otherwise they'd've had 71. Five against two, with one a Four. That's disgusting." He shakes his head. "The rumor mill is going to work overtime in the next few days. "

"I put those glitches in the military holding for two reasons," Lord Megatron says. "One, I don't want a corrupt P-class releasing them on some technicality. I've sent orders to Lord Barricade to keep his hands off, and to Strika that she is to keep S-3427 isolated until I say different. That'll be when the updates are activated and I make my announcement." He looks at all of us. "I think I set a precedent, " he adds. "Lowering the level of a drone convicted of running a protection circle or raping a drone should make some of them think twice, hmm?"

Lowering the level of any drone but a Four remains one of the worst punishments short of torture or death. "I think it's appropriate, my lord," I say, and the other murmur agreement as well.

"Dismissed, all of you," he says, satisfied. The others file out. I get down and find I can walk. I manage to make it to Lord Megatron's quarters by going slowly and leaning against the wall. He walks with me. When we reach his quarters, he says, "Get a cube and get some recharge," before he heads for his berth room.

The energon helps, but recharge won't come. I cannot stop thinking of how close I came to my first time being rape, or how close I came to dying. Giving up, I do what I always do now with I need to think. I get the cleaning supplies and start to work.

As I dust and mop and polish, I ponder over a few matters that just won't add up. 35 and 95 worked with humans a lot, so I understand when they use a lot of human terms, but now 47 is using them too, and sometimes 30 does. 47 gets a haunted look on her face sometimes that reminds me of how 35 sometimes looks when he hears stories of Four abuse. And today, I fought back, when Fours have no knowledge of fighting at all. Every other level is taught basic fighting no matter what the job, but never Fours. Sure, the shock might be a defense mechanism only now released, but how did I know how to get my former supervisor off me in the first place? I get nowhere with that line of thought

Then I decide to face facts regarding my inexperience in one certain matter, ie, interfacing. How a drone's first time goes in interfacing colors how he sees it for the rest of his existence. I did not want my first time to be rape. But I can't see getting close to someone and losing them, either. No one's been worth that risk of pain, until now. I make my decision as I put away my supplies and go to the washracks to clean up. Having made my resolution, recharge comes at last.

I have a vocalizer that works now. I'm going to use it. The worst Lord Megatron can say to me is no.

 


	4. Megatron gets an unexpected gift.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Megatron begins to make changes, and gets an unexpected gift from 71. The other drones worry about 71.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Transformers or I would be rich.

I watch 71 through my one-way window as he works away in the outer office, and worry. I told Dead End the truth when I said 71 handled the office better than the last four Admin One drones he assigned. I strongly suspect he chose those whose loyalty lay with him and not with me. Now that I have 71, he sorts everything for me, assigns priority according to the guidelines I give him, and assures that I keep my schedule. He also brings me energon when I work late and handles visitors when I don't want to be disturbed. I haven't been this comfortable since Alpha's first shell.

He doesn't have to clean, but I find him doing it anyway, especially when he's stressed. Lately the office and my quarters shine.

I planned to take him to my berth when he came back from getting his upgrade activated. I knew he hoarded several cubes of high-grade to take to his J-drone friend. I counted on that and the euphoria of being able to talk freely to ease the way past his fears. One, I'm big for a Decepticon, and Fours are small drones. Two, I'm Megatron, and all his existence as 71 he's been told he's the lowest of the low and expendable. I don't want him to come to my berth out of duty or fear. Buzzed on high grade and grateful I have no problem with at all. Primus, I want to see 71 relaxed. Or buzzed. Or blind drunk if that's what it takes to loosen him up enough to climb in my berth.

Those thrice-Unicron-bedamned drones that attacked him wrecked those plans. How could I take him to my berth after he came so close to being gang-raped and killed? Not even high grade helps with that kind of trauma. He felt safe for the first time in his existence as 71 before they attacked him. He goes nowhere now without an escort from 95 or 30's squad, and I keep him by me as much as possible. Two of the squad look familiar for some reason, but I can't figure out why. One is large, but that's nothing new- Long Haul and some of the other rebirthers like experimenting. He's kinder than usual, but I've seen that before in big drones-they don't have to worry as much about being challenged. The other, who is about the size of most drones, will be as quiet as a Four for a time and then chatter like he just found his voice.I want 71 able to walk from my office to the medbay without looking constantly over his shoulder. I give the committee drones all the authorization they need to investigate, and they tackle the job with enthusiasm.

The Fallen stays away, busy with something of his own. Better than him bothering me over the Matrix, I think. 

71 arranges the service supervisor transfers now, as the task force works out procedures for the squad once I make the announcement and the downloads activate. 47 and 35 set up the download protocol for the medical units. As soon as I tell them, they will send the information out. I need to inform the director of Medical and Services first. I've spoken to Scavenger already. He was twitching, missing his normal high grade buzz, but he's noticed problems and likes the idea of someone else handling most of the gruntwork. Hook needs more careful handling.

71 suddenly looks alert. He stands, watching the door expectantly. I listen, and heard the heavy footsteps of one of my fellow native Decepticons. As Hook appears, 71 bows and opens the door to my office. Hooks looks him over, but sees only the top of 71's head. Behind Hook I see another Admin One drone. "Tell me if he gives you any trouble." I remind 71, and he sends me a sideways glance to tell me he heard. By this time I can see the smile behind the face mask. Before the door closes, I give the Admin a hard look, and Hook sees it.

"Don't worry," the Constructicon tells me dryly, "he's heard the story. He likes his level too much to risk losing it." The meeting goes well; of all the divisions, Hook's medical deals most with the violence against the Fours, and while he feels indifferent about the Fours themselves, he does care about the effect on his overworked medidrones and the costs that pile up without the budget to deal with it. I glance out of the window a few times, but while the Admin looks like he's talking to 71, he's keeping his distance.

When Hook leaves, both drones stand and bow. As usual, 71 keeps his head down. "Drone!" Hook barks, "look at me, and drop that facemask." 71 obeys him and Hooks examines his face. So does the Admin drone, with clear admiration. After a moment, Hook flashes me a quick look and leaves without another word. The Admin lingers to speak to 71 before he follows. 71 replaces the mask as soon as Hook turnes away. He picks up a datapad and I turn my attention to my desk, recording the result of the meeting. Hook was my last appointment. I look at my desk and discover nothing more to work on.

I go to the door to find 71 still holding the datapad, but he only stares at it. Clearly his processor is elsewhere. "What did he say to you?" I ask, and he jolts out of his trance.

"Nothing important," he says, but his hands clench the datapad hard. "He wanted some inside information, that's all." He looks up at me, and I wonder why he's so tense.

"Nothing else?" I prod. 71 takes in air and vents. My spark pulses faster. What is he working up to?

"He wanted to know how a Four managed to get my job," 71 said, bright red optics glued to my face. "He asked if I was that good in the berth." The datapad bends where his fingers press in. "Then, before he left, he told me he understood now how a Four got into your berth. He said to look him up when you got tired of me and replaced me with a real Admin. "

"I didn't lie when I told Dead End you do better work than most Admins," I told him, a little disappointed. Why does this scrap bother 71? He's not in my berth, yet. Looking at his hands, I hope that he's saved the information on that datapad somewhere else. With the dents where his fingers clench, I doubt it will work.

"No, Lord Megatron," he says, and we head for our quarters. I wonder what he didn't say, but he only brings me my energon and slips into his room. I drink it, visit the washracks, and ponder how much longer I should wait before I make a move. When I emerge, I find the Fallen sitting on the couch, with 71 handing him a cube. As soon as I show up, my little Four slips away. He's afraid of the Fallen. Wise of him.

"Why are you wasting so much time with the Fours?" he asks, irritated. "Barricade is keeping them in line. Let him crush any resistance."

"Barricade's setting me up for another rebellion, and I will not tolerate that! Instead of humans, we'll have the Fours rebelling on us."

"With who to lead them? You've got the leader under your eye. Raise his level and forget the Fours. Work on finding the Matrix of Leadership!"

"And once you find it, what are you going to do with it?" I think. I want this planet to stay in one piece, not be harvested for energon when we make as much as we need now. We tried to revive the hatchlings a few at a time some time ago. Most of them died in weeks, but none of them survived long. I still don't know why. "Do you have information?" I ask aloud. "Any news from the searchers?"

"If you sent out mechs with brains instead of idiots, I might," he growls. I shrug.

"I send out who I can spare. Let the Combaticons and the Seekers find and fight Autobots instead of tearing up my cities." Starscream went out to look for his Trine long ago; I let him go with relief and he never returned or contacted us. " Those damned fools brought me a dead lead once and I came back to a full-blown rebellion, with Shockwave and Soundwave dead."

Then my mind turns to the departmental meeting coming up. I smile to myself. I know now where the whole problem started. If there's one rule all Decepticons follow, it's "Don't get caught." One of my department heads broke it, and I intend to point out the error of his ways. "But I'll give you another searcher, soon." He huffs and leaves.

Ten orns later, I look over my council. The department heads murmur to each other. Once the meeting starts, I listen to the reports as we review old business, and watch them. They're impatient. They want to know what's going on. Finally old business winds down, and we take a break. I contact 71 as I sip energon. Soon after, 35 and 47 arrive with the visual aids. They set up the holographic display and leave for my office, where the others wait. As soon as the door cycles shut behind them, I call the meeting back to order.

"I discovered that a potential threat to our security exists," I tell them. My eyes rove from one to another as I speak. "In the last rebellion, Alpha's latest shell was a G-drone One, G-1271, who used the old internet connections from the human times, and broadcast an upload that reminded all Four level of their times as humans. This resulted in the majority of the Fours joining the human rebellion. Fortunately, Barricade shot Alpha before he could move to the Threes. That is the only reason the rebellion failed. " Barricade smiles.

Sitting beside him, Strika casts the police commissioner a disgusted look. Barricade got to Alpha first because Epsilon and Delta blew up her headquarters as a distraction. "At that time I ordered that all the Fours  _involved_  in either riots or rebellion programmed with certain restrictions." I look at Scrapper. "I did not give orders that all Fours from that time on continue the restrictions. " A ripple goes through the department heads. Scrapper shifts uncomfortably. "I'm waiting for the explanation," I prod.

"I researched the situation," the Constructicon explains. "We did the initial downloads and I set the system to wipe the program. When I checked, it was wiped. Sometime later, one of my drones brought the reintegration of the programming to my attention, but this time there was an order on the system to leave the programming due to possible future unrest." He shrugs. My Native Decepticons, like me, seldom deal with Fours, like we seldom dealt with humans until the rebellions. "We recheck the programming once a meta-cycle for routine maintenance and it's still there. I never got an order to remove it. Never knew there was a problem until I got your order to stop rebirthing the Fours until the programming changes."

"I see," I say.

"I've tried to remove it twice. Each time it comes back. I'm tracing the problem now."

"Why bother?" Barricade says with his voice full of contempt. "They can't be trusted and need the restrictions to keep them in their place. Why do you think Alpha chose them? "

"According to the interrogation reports, their comlink server was the unit closest to the door," I inform him. A startled silence followed by snorts of amusement greets that comment. Barricade snarls. "I researched the interrogation notes. He wanted to start with the Ones, but it took too long to get to that area."

"They're the lowest of the low, with the worst of the humans chosen for their rebirth," he says.

"No," Long Haul disagrees. He supervises the rebirths of humans to drones. "I looked at the requirements for all the drones. The Fours primary is work ethic, lack of aggression, and beauty. One of my drones brought it to my attention more than a generation ago and I changed it, because I need those first two for the Masters. When I looked recently, it was changed back. "

"Created to be attractive and useful," Hook muses, "and restricted to be the perfect victims."

"Perfect whores" I say. "That is not what the S-class is created for, nor is that kind of 'service' part of their programming. Correct?" Long Haul agrees. "And the cost of these unauthorized changes is considerable." I activate the holograms and display the figures for time lost due to injured Fours, cost of rebirthing to replace the deaths and the cost of repairs add to the budget for most of the departments. Murmurs run through the room. None of them care about the Fours except where the problem impacts their departments. After all, they're Decepticons. Seeing wasted resources that could go to their department budget matters. "Not to mention that none of us want another rebellion. Being forced into behavior not in their programing and detrimental to their well-being, they only need a leader to start problems."

"Impossible," the police supervisor snarls. "They're weak. They're limited. They can't rebel. And Alpha is dead."

"Shockwave said that about humans. We all know what happened to Shockwave, don't we?" I sweep my eye over all their faces. Most look grim. If I hadn't arrived when I did, they know some of them would have joined the pile of Shockwave parts. "We thought Alpha was dead then, didn't we? Until the military barracks exploded, the Fours started to riot, and the humans attacked the Masters."

Silence. "So. Do we all understand the situation?" I ask.

"This is ridiculous," the police commissioner explodes. "Those costs are twisted! There are more Fours than any other kind of drone, that's all. Besides, without the costs from before the riots, there's no way of knowing if this is normal or not."

"In that case, here you go," I tell him, and I display the difference. In fact, violence in all the levels of drones went up after the Fours got limited. "And all since I rewarded you with this position, Barricade. I've also noticed that your private fortune grows daily from your prostitution –oh, I mean protection rings." I stand up, towering over his seated and now cringing form. "What is the price of treason?" I ask, my face about a foot from my police commissioner's. Everyone gets very quiet. "I asked you a question."

"Permanent deactivation," he says, the word full of static. "I meant no treason, my lord. "

"No?" I ask. "You're saying that you're just incompetent and corrupt."

"No, my lord, I mean, yes-" He stops. There is nothing he can say which will not condemn him further.

"Which is it, Barricade?" He still says nothing. I stand straighter, and my optics sweep the room, catching and holding each one's attention. "In that case, you are relieved of duty and charged with negligence. Strika, escort him to the brig. Barricade will be going out to search for the Autobots within the week." They leave. Silence rules while we wait for her to return. They all know that I've sent Barricade to exile unless he finds something. Considering we haven't heard from any of the others in quite some time, that gets rid of him without deactivating him. If I deactivated every Decepticon that got corrupt, I wouldn't have any left. Instead, slapping down the ones who go too far and cause serious problems, like Barricade, keeps the rest in line and cautious. If Barricade comes back, resentful but ready to serve, I'll give him a place. I've done the same with Scavenger and Long Haul.

When Strika gets back, I outline the steps we are taking, and no one argues with me. "Strika. Recommend a replacement from your ranks for Barricade's replacement, and send him to me tomorrow. "

I am still Megatron. I rule them. And from the looks on their faces, today's reminder does them all good.

Returning to my office, I find the committee working. Before they stand, I wave them down. "Barricade is gone," I tell them, "and his replacement will come from Strika's unit.

"Yes!" 95 crows, and bumps a closed fist with 30.

"Awesome!" 47 and 35 shout and pump raised fists. Human gestures, from the time before their original shells.

71 watches all of them, happy but puzzled. He looks at me, his optics shining bright."Celebrate? _"_  he asks, and I nod. Smiling, he goes to a cupboard and returns with six cubes of high grade and one of regular mid-grade energon. He offers the tray around, coming to me first. 35 takes the mid-grade with a smile at 71. I fight down the rush of jealousy.

"Here's to a good start," I say, and we drink. As they all relax, I notice how they watch 71 protectively as he starts on the extra cube of high grade. I wonder why he's so determined to get buzzed.

The ones heading off the danger of rebellion are Alpha's peers, the original drones who always follow his rebellious lead. Now his latest shell's the one in need of protection. I wonder if they appreciate the irony as much as I do. I remember how I got them.

" _Master, Master, look what I found!"_

_Alpha comes running up with two humans in his arms. They are young, the age he would be if he retained his human body. Seeing me, they struggle, wailing at him. "Shush," he says impatiently, shaking them quiet. They huddle against him. They know who I am. "This is_ _Mikaela_ _and Miles, they came to find me! They want me to come with them, but since I can't do that can they stay with me? Please?" He looks at me with bright excited optics._

" _We have to talk to them first, Alpha, you know that." I reach for the femme, whose shrieks shake the rafters._

_Alpha retreats, pouting. "But they break when you do that, and then they die. I want to_ _**keep** _ _these. See, they're young, and they aren't soldiers, they don't have those ugly clothes. They don't know anything. Please?" He sees my frown, and washer fluid spills. "Nobody has time to talk to me anymore. It's always, do this, do that, I'm too busy to talk, Alpha, I'm too busy to play, Alpha! And these are nice, they aren't like those mean soldier humans." One of Alpha's chores is caring for the human prisoners, who assume that he's one of us and treat him accordingly._

_Behind me Starscream comes in. Vicious as he normally is, Starscream reacts to Alpha with Seeker caretaker programming. I hate to admit it, but sometimes he's better with Alpha than I am. "Now, Alpha, no matter what, they have to go to the holding cells or they'll deactivate anyway. They need human food, too, and if they don't get to a waste collector they'll make a mess and you'll have to clean it up." Alpha stops crying. "Look, they're shivering." He was accurate, though I question whether it was cold or fear that caused the shaking. "They need to get to the cells and get warm."_

" _Okay," he admits. "But you won't break them?"_

" _We'll only talk to them first. But you have to process them like the soldiers, so they don't get you into trouble."_ _Knowing that's the best he's going to get, Alpha moves off, chattering away to the frightened young humans._ _Through the comlink, Starscream says, :We can use more help, Master. You know I've been working on a better shell for Alpha, we could test it on these two. They seem to be young and healthy enough.:_

_I like that idea. Then the fights between Starscream and Hook begin. Both have shells in the works, and both want to try them. Starscream's is for support staff and Hook's is for soldiers. Then the two soldiers, Lennox and Epps come to rescue the younger humans. Knowing what happened to Sam Witwicky, they try to 'rescue' him with the younger humans, and get captured. Alpha pleads for them, and Hook decides they'll work better for his shells than the younger, inexperienced humans._

95 and 30 leave first, followed by 47. I watch as 35 and 71 linger at the door, talking quietly, before 35 gives 71 a pat on the arm and departs. "Do you miss him?" I ask 71 abruptly.

"My lord?" he asks, looking up at me. He still has the last cube in his hand, with about half of it remaining.

"Miss 35," I clarify, feeling foolish for bringing up the subject.

He shakes his head. "I still hear from him almost every day on the project," he says. "I don't miss my old life at all." He looks at his half-full cube as though it holds the answers to all the questions in the universe. Then he downs it as though he needs it. "Am I attractive?" he asks.

"What a stupid question," I tell him, getting hopeful. "Why else would all the drones that come through this office still flirt with you?"

He doesn't smile. "I'm a virgin." If he'd produced a gun from his arm and shot me, I would be less surprised. He giggles at my expression. "I need a teacher. Please?"

Primus, that admission revs my engine "What a gift," I say, as I kneel and hold out my arms. The cube drops as he slams into me and clings. "Why did you wait so long?" I know he refused to join his supervisor's protection ring, but I assumed like everyone else that he and 35 shared more than a room.

"I didn't want to be hurt. I wanted to find someone right. Someone long-term, that I could trust." He twisted to look at me. "With you I don't care. If it's only tonight, an orn, a handful of orns, I don't care. I'll take what I can get, as long as you want me," he murmurs, and nestles against me. I speed up. My quarters seem too far away.

We make it to my quarters. We don't make it to the berth. Not for the first overload. Once he relaxes, his curiosity gets the best of him and he experiments. As matters heat up, 71 makes so much noise I'm grateful that the balcony is soundproofed. Otherwise everyone on the Highest Floor would hear him. Afterward we notice how hard the floor is and move to my berth. "I'm glad I waited," he says as we lay spooned, relishing the afterglow. Then he turns and starts exploring again. I should have remembered what virgins are like. After the third overload, I remind him that he can't make up for a lifetime of celibacy in one night. "Besides," I tell him, "you're mine."

"As long as you want me." He's figured out my sensitive spots and his hands are already moving again.

"That's going to be a long, long time. " I take his hands in mine. Then I go into recharge. In self-defense.

The next day 71 moves slowly and never stops smiling. I feel good myself.

The project moves along briskly. I get regular reports from Alpha on their progress. He comes to like and trust 95's squad, especially the large commander, C-6784. I know I never met that drone before 95 added him to the squad, but something about him is familiar. One evening after a meeting with the committee on their progress, 71 heads out on some restocking errands he's put off too long, taking C-6784 as a bodyguard. The others gather in the outer office, murmuring to each other and looking after 71 with worry on their faces. They're talking by private comlink when I walk in.

"Tell me what's wrong," I command. No one says anything. "All of you are worried about 71. You all know he's in my berth. Tell me what's wrong."

35 says something about 71 being a target. "So are all of you. Spit it out, Beta." They all stiffen. "Don't go into stasis on me. Part of the reason I kept all of you is because Beta and Epsilon recalled, and it was a matter of time before the rest of you did. I saw when Gamma did. Delta?"

"I recalled first," he admits. "It's why I helped Beta through his drug problem."

"And where did that come from?" I ask Beta, curious.

"I was the one who suggested Alpha use the old internet system to release the human memories of the Fours," Beta says, his voice strained. "If you know, why are we still in our shells and not recycled?" The others look from him to me.

"Because this time I want to hold off the rebellion before it starts. " I give them some time to consider that angle. Relief runs through them, and I am satisfied. This way, they satisfy their loyalty programming and deal with their human sensibilities. "What's more, I expect all of you to keep me informed of similar problems once this project is over. But I want to hold off on 71 recalling as long as I can. Hear me?"

This time Gamma spoke up. "My lord, 71's programmed as a service drone, but he's running your office alone better than the office full of Admins used to."

"He's making strategic suggestions better than programmed Commanders," Delta says, and Epsilon agreed.

"He asked me about dreams," Beta admitted. Drones don't dream, but sometimes they remember human memories when they recharge.

"Meaning?" I ask.

"He's worked as admin, military supply, and programmer before. He's recalling his work files from those past shells," Gamma said. "I think," she glanced at the others, "that he's fighting the recall. "

"Explain," I say, sharply. I don't like how that sounds. She cringes a little.

"When we recall," she says, "sometimes the host personality and the shell personality can merge. It's more of a gradual process."

"Sometimes the recall goes for a long time," 30 seconds. "When there's not much going on, the host personality wakes up, and works on breaching the firewall between the human mind and the shell's processor. But other times," he rubs the back of his neck, absently, "it happens all at once. The human personality bursts through, and wipes out the shell's personality completely. We don't know how. We just know it happens."

" I didn't want to recall," she admits. "When the download triggered, I tried to fight it. 35 jacked in and stopped me from burning out my processor."

"She had no defenses at all," 35 says unhappily. "All of it went to fight the download. If I hadn't been there, someone could have gotten in and done a lot of damage."

"My orders stand," I tell them, and they nod.

 


	5. S-4371: After triumph, Recall.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fours regain their voices. S-4371 recalls. The Fallen acts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Transformers, though I wish I did.

I did not know it was possible to be this happy.

It took two cubes of high grade and the sight of Lord Megatron jealous of 35, but I finally ask him to teach me. Primus, what took me so long? I always wondered what all the fuss was about; now I know.

For the first few weeks, he reminds me over and over that we have the rest of our lives. I have trouble believing that. Fours cherish every chance for pleasure and joy we get, because we never know when we'll get another one. "It's all right, 71," he tells me, holding me against him and holding my hands so I won't try to start again. "You're mine now. We've got the rest of your life." That does comfort me. Drones live long lives compared to humans, but we seem short-lived to our Decepticon masters. But our host is held in a kind of stasis and be recycled if not harmed by some kind of violence. That's why the rumors of Alpha reborn keep cropping up, because host bodies are recycled whenever possible. I don't believe those rumors. How could a human body, fragile as it is, survive that long even in a shell?

Even though sometimes I know things and don't know why.

The Fallen tells me, "He'll use you, throw you back to service and forget about you. He's Megatron and you're a Four." Then, as usual, he asks me if I remember being human. I wonder why.

But everyone knows that an especially useful drone whose shell is damaged or breaks down can have both his host and his shell's memory files transferred to another shell. If I stay useful to Lord Megatron, he could do that for me. I want that. I want to stay by him as long as my host lasts. I want to be for him what Alpha never was. I know, deep in my processor, that I feel this way only for Lord Megatron. But despite what I want, I feel that sooner or later he will tire of me. I hold fast to my resolution. When the time comes and he dismisses me, I will not complain. I store every memory to cherish for that day. Maybe time will prove me wrong and he will keep his word, but Lord Megatron is a Decepticon. I don't count on it.

Eventually, when he keeps me in his berth and sees obsessively to my safety, I relax and let orns at a time go by without begging for more interfacing. For now, I'm with him every moment possible, and when I can't be close or need to run errands, I go out with one of the committee members or one of several members of either 95's or 30's squads. I feel as safe as a being can be in the Decepticon Empire.

My new lover likes to talk to me and tell me stories of the past. I listen for hours, fascinated by descriptions of other planets and times from an older Earth. "I wish I could take you to space," he says. He talks about Cybertron, and mourns its death. I find out that Optimus Prime is his brother. "Cybertron needed changes," he says. "But we didn't agree how. He wanted to work within the system. It didn't work. I guess he's still wandering around space somewhere. I'll go after him for the Cube if the scouts report. We haven't heard from them in a long while. "

He talks with hate about the humans who held him. He still holds that against the humans, even after all these vorns. "It's why I made Alpha at first, in revenge," he said. " I wanted service from the Witwicky boy for defying me and because his ancestor handed me over to his authorities. Sam taught me a great deal about how strong humans can be. He fought me from the beginning, even though he had to know escape was useless. He almost managed to kill himself by just not refueling for weeks. That's part of why I wanted him. I thought, if that determination could work for me, not against me-" He stopped.

We weren't in the berth that time. He went from meeting to meeting that day, while I spent the day working in his office with 35 and the other committee members. When he came back late, he just told me to come and we went to the balcony. I got both of us energon and he talked while we sipped. "Was he worth it?" I asked.

"Yes," he said, and vented. "I made a lot of mistakes with Alpha. He hurt me, and I hurt him, when he recalled, but most of our time together we were so happy. The problem is, he was right sometimes. After the fighting stopped, I'd make a small change and it would make a huge difference. I'm trying to learn this time." He finishes his cube. "You remind me of Alpha in his early days."

"I'm not Alpha," I told him. That night he just holds me, and I nestle against him, just wanting the comfort of each other's warmth.But I remember some of my dreams, and I feel uneasy. I don't think I went into this shell happy and willing. I think, like Alpha, that I fought. I know that the dreams are just old jumbled memory files from my human days.

I ask 35 soon after if he remembers being human. "Yeah," he said. "All Masters do, sooner or later, dealing with humans like we do. It helps with the work. Why do you ask?" I tell him about the dreams. "Come to me if they bother you," he says. "Or any of us. We can help. Don't try to deal with it on your own. I tried that." He gives me a crooked smile. "Why do you think I started the drugs? " I tell him I will, but after that I keep the dreams to myself. Dreams of a young human female with lovely dark long hair, crying and begging. Dreams of a young male with light hair, throwing a ball in some kind of game, trying to persuade me to do something. Dreams of two strong human males trying to take the two young humans away and waving me to come with them. One of the males is black skinned, the other pale like the young humans.

Dreams of fighting. Dreams of standing in front of a huge empty plain, with someone asking what I thought. Dreams of screaming and burning. I firewall the memories away. I don't have time to analyze them. There's work to do, important work. When it's done, I'll talk to 47 and 35 about them. Soon after I put up the firewall, when I'm alone in the quarters again, the Fallen appears. "Such a happy drone," he says this time, and I get the feeling he doesn't approve. Once again he asks me if I remember my human past. Soon after, C-2330 asked me the same question. This time I tell him I don't remember anything. He seems disappointed for some reason. I ask him the same question, and he says, "Not at all, but I think it could be interesting." I just shrug. I like C-2330 a lot; he and C-6784, are my favorites. They don't talk down to me and I feel safe with them.

The project moves steadily despite all the inevitable problems. Every drone involved wants this change to happen. 35 almost works himself into involuntary stasis several times. Once I ask him why, when C-6784 and I walk him to his quarters after a meeting. 47 threatened to haul him to the med bay and sedate him if he wouldn't get some recharge. On the way we pass J _-_ 3912 and he joins us. He and 84 talk like old friends. "I want to see this make right," 35 says fiercely. "In all our history, the humans were the victims. Now the humans are finally treated right, and here under our noses the Fours are being treated worse. "

"But you cannot do it all yourself," 84 says kindly. "You and 71 know those in service, but 71 cannot safely gather information now."

"Ha," 12 said. "You should hear the rumors flying. The word went out in less than an orn after Lord Megatron busted those pieces of scrap in public. For the first time this generation of Four drones hopes for changes. Some of them talk to me." We pass service drones in the hall working. One gives us the side look that focuses on our wrist numbers. Then her eyes go up to me. I stop. "35's room isn't far," 12 says quietly to 84. "You get him there, and I'll stay with 71." Then he shouts at the Four, "Hey, why are you slacking," and strides off while I squat.

"It's okay, he'll watch for us," I tell her quietly. "Talk to me."

She keeps working but says, "Tell the Master One that some of the supervisors are talking about the new upgrade. Some of them are suspicious. They say they're going to keep back the more popular ones and see what happens with the rest of us. Some of them are telling their drones that the upgrade means more restrictions." She glances fearfully at 12, who hovers down the corridor.

"It's a lie," I tell her. "You know where I work. Right?"

She nods. "You're a Four, but you can talk without permission," she answers. "I'll spread the word as I can." Fours have ways of getting the word out. Writing notes, for one thing. It's just hard, so we don't do it much.

"Be careful," I warn her, and she gives me a withering look. No Four needs that warning. "And I'll pass your message. We'll work it out. "She gives me a timid smile as I stand and walk back to 12.

84 appears from the other side. As he approached, he glanced around the corridor and saw no one else. He stops by her, and says quietly, "You may give anyone with this symbol,' he touches the emblem on his shoulder, denoting his unit, "or the Master you just saw, information, and we will help you." I wonder why 84 is a Commander and not a Master, working with the humans. But a lot of the drones in the project squads act like him. He's even got a few drones in other sections who work with us, giving advice and information. I mention their names to Lord Megatron as support staff when this project needs them. He looks at my notes when the time comes. Most of the drones look clean in the background checks, he brings most of them in at one time or another.

I remember bringing Megatron and the committee the lists of transfers, of both the Service supervisors and the police drones. It's the first step in the project, and my own work. I feel frightened and proud as the orders go out. That night, we drink high grade and go to the berth for some prolonged 'facing. 

The Service administrator, Lord Scavenger cooperates as he wants to keep his position. He even waits until he finishes work now to get to his high grade. He's got a new assistant, a former Constructicon called Hauler. Lord Megatron orders a deep investigation of this Cybertronian who appeared out of nowhere, but I see the results that show he is a fleeing neutral from the old wars who stumbled across Earth by accident. He accepts the assistant job happily even though most Decepticons consider Service the lowest department, and he does most of the work even with Lord Scavenger sober most of the time.

"Some of the new supervisors try to pick up what the old ones left behind," 95 reports at the following meeting, "but the Fours give them a hard time. They know something's up. "

"We're getting more attacks," 47 grumbles.

That's to be expected," 30 reminds her. "Are the medics reporting the attacks as ordered?"

"I am, and the others in my area are," she said. "I don't know about anywhere else. " While she remains the medic on the committee, she's gone back to her old work now that she and 35 completed the programming, to return when the downloads and activations start

"Is it possible to make the report automatic for all attacks?" I ask. "Not just the Fours, but all drones? " Something in the back of my processor tells me it's not only possible, but simple.

"I know a programmer we can ask," C-6784 says. "I can also provide means for Fours to reduce some of the attacks."

"When you have it, give it to me and I'll pass it on," 35 says. 84 sends the information immediately. The suggestions are sensible and simple, but not things I would think of. "Wish you'd mentioned this earlier."

"I put it together for this meeting," he says, "after speaking with the Four the last time I escorted you and 71." Sometimes I wonder how old 84 is. He and most of the members of his squad act older than 12 sometimes, and other times they sound as young as a newly made drone. They seem to be experienced, and then they'll ask about something every drone knows. I never mention this to Lord Megatron, though. I trust 84 and C-2330, more than anyone other than the committee members and I want to keep them as escorts.

The programmer, G-5299, turns out to be a drone about my size but with a sense of humor that doesn't stop. "Easy," he says about the automatic reports from the med-bay. Lord Hook is enthusiastic about anything that will save his medidrones time, and the program is implemented in record time. The reports show patterns, and the squads work out response times and means.

With the prosecution of crimes against Fours, the violence drops somewhat. "We brought in fourteen drones for the same crime in one night," 95 told me. "At this rate, they're going to have the streets swept clean in the city as well as the base!" I think about the matter, and when I can, sort through the data. Sure enough, the worst offenders repeat. I point this out to the committee and Lord Megatron. He changes the punishment code so that repeat offenders get stronger punishments, and the violence drops more.

I still visit 12 when I can. One time we're waiting in line in one of the supply markets, talking. He tells me and C-2330, "Most of the Fours know where the squads patrol, and they try to stay in those areas. Some of the patrons of the protection rings get nasty when the Fours they used to get avoid them now, though."

"That's stupid," I say. "If they paid the protector for the Four, why not offer something to the Four to see them?"

"Like what?"

"Have you ever tasted the energon a regular Four gets?" We got to the front of the line at that time, and I arranged for the transfer of the goods to Lord Megatron's quarters and to the office. When we turned to go, I noticed that a lot of drones watch, their optics thoughtful.

The next time I visit, 12 tells me that my comment fell on some interested ears. "What's more, your suggestion is working for a lot of them," he adds and laughs.

The new police commissioner, Counterpunch, snarks at the squad a lot, but he wants to prove he's worthy of the position, so he reviews and signs off on most of the transfers. He arranges for 95's and 30's squads to work with a specially trained set of P-levels to investigate all crimes against Fours now. He delegates one of his assistants, P-7769, to work with the squads and G-5299. The programmer gives P-7769 a hard time, but they work well together in spite of all that. J-3912 passes on more rumors as he hears them. We laugh over the more outrageous ones. 

Hook orders an Empire-wide upgrade of all Four systems due to a 'minor glitch' found in some programming. Inspectors tour and ensure that no suspicious service supervisor or police officer tries to prevent the upgrade in Fours under their 'protection', motivated by a blunt memo stating that for every Four that missed the upgrade, they would lose a level. In the next committee, 30 tells us, "I snuck one set of Fours off while the inspector and the service supervisor shouted at each other. When I got back with them, those two were still arguing. I had to separate them and com the inspector before they killed each other." He laughed."The Fours thought that was hysterical. They grinned and nudged each other while they went off on their assignments."

Finally, finally comes the day of the announcement. I stand with the other committee drones behind Lord Megatron. I don't think I should be here, but everyone insists. "You've done as much work as any of us," the committee insisted. "You need to stand with us." We wait, polished to a bright shine, waiting for the video team to say everything is ready. Those news drones are almost glitching with curiosity.

Lord Megatron begins, "We all know that in the last revolution, Alpha activated the human memories of the Fours, and as a result, this Empire was threatened." He pauses, not for effect, but to be sure that the activation goes out as he speaks. "But the last of the Fours left alive from that time are dead, and I find that the restrictions on all Fours are no longer needed." He lists the restrictions and the releases. I get a message via comlink from 47 that the activation is complete. Then he goes on, "From now on, any drone who runs so called 'protection rings' is demoted to the Four level, as will any convicted of raping a Four. "We know the upgrade is complete when we see videos of Fours cheering. Megatron steps off the platform and as he walks by he reaches out and pulls me against him. I look up at him, smiling, and he smiles back.

The Fallen appears again the next time I'm alone in Lord Megatron's quarters. This time, he says," Such a pretty obedient little servant you are. Don't you want a higher level? Megatron will give you one." I bow my head and say nothing. He asks again if I remember, and I only shake my head. When I look up, he's gone.

"I'm going to raise your level soon," Lord Megatron tells me shortly after. "You got the download activated first, you can be the first to rise in level. You've earned it, and not in my berth. I've already started the paperwork. "

The committee still meets to discuss problems, though with the changes implemented, the time between meetings stretches. So far, there's been nothing we didn't anticipate. As usual, it's held in the conference room near Lord Megatron's office. We tend to gather early. I can't wait to tell the others about the news about the raise in level, now that all Fours can get them. Then the admin for Lord Scrapper shows up. "Hey, 71, can you help me out here? I need the minutes to that last meeting with my boss and Lord Megatron. He's yelling about it. " I sigh and dig up the files, and he heads out. That makes me late, when normally I'm the first one there.

I approach the door and stop to listen when I hear my name. "Do you think 71's recalled yet?" 95 asks. "I worry about him. He must be accessing some of his old files just to run the office as well as he does." The door gapes open just enough for me to see them sitting around the table, and from where I'm standing, they can't see me unless they look in the right way. No one is.

"He said once that he's having dreams," 35 tells them, and he sounds troubled, "but that's been a while and he won't talk about them. Says they're too jumbled to make any sense."

"So nothing's triggered a download yet," 47 says. I see her clench her hands. "It's going to be bad if he keeps fighting it. I remember what it did to me. "

35 snorts, playing with a datapad. "I still don't dare touch high grade," he says. "I keep thinking, if I kept my mouth shut, maybe we'd've found something else without sending that release. Without what happened to the Fours."

"Beta, just because you told Alpha to use the old internet connections to release the Four's human memories doesn't mean it's your fault," 30 tells 35. "I led the assault on the military administration, which, I remind you, failed!"

"Don't blame yourself, Delta, we wouldn't have failed if Alpha got to the rest of the drones," 47 said, and sighed. "Damn that piece of slag Barricade," she added bitterly. "I should have just let him rape me. Instead I fight back, and the message comes at just that moment-"

"Gamma," 95 interrupts, "it wouldn't have mattered if you fought or not. It was just damned bad luck. Any soldier knows that can happen. By this time you should know that!"

"Shut it, Epsilon," 30 says wearily. "Miles and Mikaela were kids when they went into their shells. We were hardened soldiers. It still makes a difference." 35 makes a rude noise with his glossa and 47 lifts her third finger from a fist. "See, they're proving that now."

95 says, "Look, when it comes down to it, we got the reforms the humans needed. Right, Beta? The Masters don't treat humans like dirt anymore, they take care of them. And this time, it's not taking a rebellion to make a change."

"Rebellions are expensive to put down," 30 says cynically.

"He wants to make Alpha happy," 47 argues. "He doesn't really care about the Fours."

"I don't care if our Lord High Conqueror makes changes because he doesn't want a rebellion or because it's cheaper or because he's fragging Alpha and wants to keep him happy. He's making them. We're getting a chance to make it right. Now ditch the guilt trips and let's get some work done, all right?"

"Alpha-no. 71's not here yet. " They all agree to stop using the original drone names. "It's hard when we're all together like this," 95 mutters.

My processor whirls. As I assimilate that conversation, I go over what I know of them.

The Original Five drones. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon. All made before the mass production of drones began. All made with custom built shells, with implants that, according to rumor, still work with current shells. Sometimes dronemasters play with using those kind of implants, but Hook thinks it's a waste of time and Starscream disappeared long ago into space, looking for Autobots.

Miles Lancaster and Mikaela Banes were friends of Sam Witwicky, the host for Alpha, and they came to rescue him. Instead, they went into shells, becoming Beta and Gamma respectively. They were support staff, like Alpha.

William Lennox and Robert Epps came to the base as scouts, partly because they found out that Mikaela and Miles went. They found the teens being prepared for the drone insertion. They almost got them out. Alpha found them, and they were taken for another drone experiment, to see if drones could be soldiers. They were Delta and Epsilon, respectively.

They said I was Alpha.

I am not Alpha. I am S-4371.

But somewhere in me, something wakes. Memory stores open, and flood my processor with information. I fight it, bringing up the firewall and holding on to it with every ounce of strength I possess. I don't want it. I am not Alpha. I will not be Alpha. I am 71.

"What's that?" Vaguely I hear sounds of feet, then frantic voices. "He's down. 71, answer me." I ignore them. I must hold the firewall. I am not Alpha. I will not be Alpha. Dimly, I know I've fallen. I'm being carried to the medbay. I hear them tell me not to fight, that I'll hurt myself, that I have to let the memories surface. Drones can't fight downloads; they can control the rate, but not refuse them without doing processor damage.

I don't care. I am not Alpha. I am 71. I will not become Alpha. I will not accept this download. I will let my processor burn out first.

"Get coolant into him." That's 47. Gamma. Mikaela. I get the flash of the young human girl crying again. It's her. I push more power into the firewall. No. I don't want the memories. I don't want to change.

I hear rushed vents from two drones. "My lord," 35 begins, but the berth beneath me goes away, replaced by air, until I feel large arms around me. I try to block it out and concentrate on the firewall.

Then someone else is in my processor. "Little fool," the Fallen croons. "The flood of memory freezes. "Let's see what we have here," and suddenly a memory floods through my processor.

_I'm running. I'm running harder than I ever have before. I've never had a reason to run like this before. My lungs burn, breathing in the smells of the city being destroyed. There are explosions all around me, jets flying in the sky. The ground behind me shakes. I'm being chased._

_I'm holding something in my hands. Warm metal, engraved with strange symbols, pressing their marks deep into my hands. I keep running._

_I'm so small compared to the buildings around me. Smaller than usual. Even the buildings look small. I'm tiny._ _I'm a human._ _Oh god._

_I trip, the Cube hits the ground, something grunts but I'm not sure if it's me. I stumble to my feet and keep running, hearing something shift and morph behind me._

_I'm heading into a building, something in me screams about a roof, getting to the roof, getting the AllSpark out of here. There's no time._

_"Give me the Cube, boy!"_

_I'm falling, falling down, down, down._

_"Hang on Sam!" My back hits hard metal, thank god Optimus, Megatron's following us. I watch him fall, holding onto the giant fingers clutching me for dear life as Optimus breaks his fall with the high rises around us._

_A missile slams into Megatron, knocking him far away from us, very far away. Optimus lands. A voice whispers in my head. I know what I must do._ _For Earth… For humanity…_

_Optimus sets me down, but before he can speak I'm on him. "Optimus, listen to me. The Cube can't stay on Earth, I need you to take it somewhere else. Take it far away from my planet. That's what Megatron wants, right? He wants the Cube_ _, and he'll follow you to get it!"_

_"Sam, you have to put the-"_

_"_ _No_ _! Listen to me Optimus, you know Megatron better than I do! As long as he's alive, he will continue to kill people. I can't stop your war, but I'm going to keep it away from Earth. Take the Cube and go!"_

_"Sam…" Optimus' optics are so full of regret. "There is another option."_

_"No. There isn't." My voice is final. "As long as your kind are on my planet, humanity will be in danger. You want the Cube to recreate Cybertron? Then take it!" I ex_ _tend the Cube. Optimus leans back, before resignation enters those optics. He reaches down and his fingers graze the metal surface of the Cube. A humming fills my entire body, and my mouth moves before I can stop myself. "I need you to promise me something Optimus."_

_Optimus' optics go wide. "Samuel…?"_

_"Promise me you won't do anything with the Cube that will endanger Earth or my kind."_

_"I… I promise."_

_Not good enough,_ _something hisses, and my mouth moves again. "Swear it."_

_A new expression dawns in those optics. "Sam?"_

_"Swear it on the AllSpark!"_

_Optimus stares at me. "I… swear it."_

_The Cube is lifted from my hand, and I pull away. Optimus stands to his full height, tucking the Cube into some impossible subspace pocket. He calls for a retreat. With one last look at me, he transforms and drives through the chaos, out of the city and out of my life. It'll be the last time I ever see him._ _There's a loud boom from behind me. I turn around, knowing what I'll see. Megatron watches Optimus retreat, unspeakable disgust on his face. "Boy, what have you done?"_

_"I gave him the Cube, Megatron." My voice is braver than I actually feel like. "You want it, you'll have to go after him." I watch Megatron intently. "There's no reason for you to stay on Earth. Optimus will be taking the Cube into space."_

_Megatron looks at me in an odd way. "Boy," He says, "Do you really think that I came here simply to find the Cube and_ _**leave** _ _?"_

_My heart drops to my feet._ _Megatron lunges. I run again. But this time he catches me._

No, no, no, I am not Alpha!

The Fallen laughs as 35 and 47 protest. "Tell your lord that his brother died. I don't need him anymore. Alpha will take his place. "

Never, I think. Never will I oppose Lord Megatron.

"I'll bring back Alpha, my way," he says. "And you will kill your lord as I watch."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The memory is taken from the original Recall by Jason Gray with few changes.
> 
> Can anyone figure out who C-6784, C-2330, G-5299, and P-7769 really are yet? Let me know in a review, and I will let you know in a private message if you are correct. More hints will be scattered through other chapters.


	6. Megatron learns of the Fallen's plans and faces his changed drone lover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Transformers; I only play with the characters and wish I did.

When I look back, I think that I should have seen the crisis coming, but I didn't. Now I find myself crushed to the floor as 71 walks up to me, the Fallen's spear in his hands and his optics dead. Behind him, the Fallen says, "Kill the one who always hurts you, Alpha. He's there before you."

But the day began just like many others.

I sit in the meeting with my department heads as they make their reports. The immediate fallout from lifting the restrictions on the Fours wanes now. After dealing with the stupidest of the worst offenders, the rest know swift punishment awaits them and they move more cautiously.

While the Fours still suffer more violence than the other levels, it is a fraction of what they suffered previously. Well, we know no culture changes overnight. The Fours possess their voices, their coms, and their self-defense. Now it's up to them to gain respect.

The Council knows that both 30 and 95's squads approach the end of this assignment, and today the fights over who gets them next begins. "Do you think the corruption in the police forces went away overnight just because Barricade's in space and we made a few decrees?" Counterpunch argues. "Yes, it's better because I've got those squads keeping them honest. I need more time! "

A few of the other department heads join in the argument as I muse over those drones. Something is different about them, but I can't track down what. I've run background checks before I let them escort 71, and all of them came through clean. I've encountered them frequently. They work well with all classes. They give each level respect, but when they need to, they fight like demons, no holds barred.

"They're Commanders, not police," Strika argues. "They need to come back to the military where they belong."

Finally I grasp the impression that eludes me. The squad members act like Autobots.

"Enough," I snap. "Counterpunch, you have another vorn. By that time, you'll either have the problem solved or you'll be replaced. Find other watchdogs. Get recommendations from 95 and 30 if you need to. "

They subside. Of course, Scavenger and Scrapper start fighting over changing the age of the humans going into shells now that we no longer need so many Fours replaced, and my mind drifts again.

More than once, I've checked for a spark signature from those Commanders on 30 and 95's squad. But I never find one, which means they must be drones. Only Cybertronians have spark signatures. I've wondered a few times if somehow some Autobots managed to create drones and slide them into our society, but Optimus would glitch at the very idea of creating drones of sentient beings.  While we made the first shell as Sam Witwicky watched, knowing he would enter it, I imagined how Optimus would cringe as I showed him Alpha. 

"Is there any reason to increase the number of drones?" I ask. After hearing arguments, I ruled, "Only make more drones to replace losses. Use the best of the humans for the tasks needed, using the test results and the reports of the Masters supervising that human. Scavenger, just keep the population in reasonable limits, it doesn't matter if some of the humans age out."

We discovered early that humans above a certain age don't survive the integration part of becoming drones, even if they are in good physical health. Barricade brought in the three who fought and off-lined Frenzy, even though Soundwave managed to rebuild him. Keller died during integration, teaching us that humans over a certain age did not survive integration.

"I wish drones could survive space," Strika said, longing in her voice. "We could conquer the galaxy. Those drones on 95's and 30's squad especially. "

"We've tried," Hook said flatly. "Both Starscream and I, remember? I lost two of my favorite drones that way." He glared at the table as an unusual silence fell. Everyone remembered that day.

Maggie and Glenn, drones G-1 and G-2, became Hook's favorites when they retained skill in programming. He liked Beta, but she was always mine first and his second. In addition, Starscream grabbed Trent, a young male who came after Beta, and made him into A-1, the first admin. I remember how excited those drones got, climbing onto the shuttle. Alpha stood by me, watching with longing.

" _When the base is finished I'll take you to see it," I consoled him. "I need my personal assistant here."_

" _I won't be first," he pouted. While he was an able assistant, he was still a youngling. The others came out of integration more mature, due to the shell upgrades. Hook wanted to upgrade Alpha and I refused. I liked the idea of raising him the way I wanted, molding him into my perfect assistant._

" _You're always first with me," I told him, and he quit pouting at least._

The moment they hit free fall, the drones went into convulsions and died despite all that Starscream and Hook could do. I remember how quiet that made Alpha for all of twelve hours, a record at the time. Primus, he was such a live wire then, endlessly working or chattering, seldom still unless focused on work or recharging.

Thinking of Alpha brings my mind to 71. I plan to raise his level to the same as the rest of the committee drones at the same time that I raise several Fours to Threes as they assume supervisory roles in Service. 71 asked me to wait to raise his level when I do the others.

I do everything I can to convince him that no matter what, he will stay with me. He no longer begs for constant interfacing, afraid I eventually tire of him. He runs my office with quiet confidence. He radiates contentment, and that security enhances his beauty. But he remains quiet, speaking up only at need with strangers. With me and others he knows well, he talks a little more, but not much. The legacy of his restrictions as a Four haunt him still.

I wonder how much 71 will change when he recalls. 71 is nothing like Alpha, but then again the personalities of the shells differ every time. He twitches in his recharge at times. Sometimes he jerks awake, waking me with him. Gestures and terms used when he was still human surface at times. He uses some of Alpha's old solutions for unusual problems. Sometimes I think he's aware that he knows facts without knowing why. I agree with 47. He's fighting the recall. Alpha's done this before, and it's never ended well. Usually when I refused to acknowledge some kind of abuse or gross inequity, Alpha bursts through when the current personality became desperately conflicted. 71 is no longer desperate. He's so happy now, and neither of us wants that to end.

Explosions jerk me from my musing. "What in the Pit?" Long Haul shouts, as the building shakes.

"Blast Off!" Strika hisses. "How dare he! What do him and his brothers think they're doing?"

"Get the jets out," I say grimly as I head for the nearest communications relay. "All drones, combat readiness. Masters, defend the human compounds. Fours, get to safety and prepare to provide support as needed. Commanders, contact your supervisors for orders." Then I sent a com to 95, "Get 71 to the medbay with 47 until I contact him."

"71 is in the medbay." 95 tells me. "He collapsed fighting recall and we took him before the defense system went off. We left to investigate when all hell broke loose." As he details the damage, I don't hear 95, I hear Epsilon. "Blast Off is firing from space. He's gotten past the defense network somehow."

30 contacts me through the relay. "Barricade just showed up, and he's got a lot of the police drones following him," he said grimly. "My squad is barely holding them off. The Fours warned us, or we'd be dead now."

Just then 35 hailed me through the medbay relay. "71's been kidnapped from medbay," he said urgently. "The kidnapper just appeared. 71 floated over to him. We were thrown against the wall, we couldn't do anything. Then he said, 'Tell your lord that his brother died. I don't need him anymore. Alpha will take his place.'"

I hiss. "The Fallen." Everything fell into place now. How Blast Off got past most of the satellite defenses without triggering alarms. How Barricade managed to show up after being exiled to space. Optimus, the last Prime, my bulwark against the Fallen, the one who kept him in my shadow passive, died, and now the Fallen is free to destroy this world and ravage anything in his path. Has he found the Matrix? I've sabotaged that research for centuries. He's using all the ones I sent to space, the ones who did not find a place building this empire, the ones who loved violence and destroyed more than they built. I sent them to space to find the Autobots, telling them not to come back until they had news. Most never returned.

Megatronus is a Prime, one of the most powerful, but he is no leader. Why else did he leave everything to me? The one time he tried using someone else, someone as evil as he, the pawn wound up in pieces. Oh, I knew. I knew from the moment I came back that Megatronus Prime, the Fallen, tried to replace me with Shockwave while I chased down that signal. Just like he knew that I'd get rid of him if I could. How I wished I could have awakened Sentinel before he and the space bridge were destroyed! I take a moment to mourn Optimus my brother, and then turn my attention back to the fight. "Strika, we've got a takeover bid," I tell her. "Assume the traitors have inside knowledge of security." I send a databurst of updates, omitting nothing. "The Fallen took 71."

"Kill Alpha if he turns," she advises harshly, and cuts me off. I turn my attention back to the battle.

My forces on the moon force Blast Off into atmosphere, where the jets attack. Vortex, Swindle, Brawl and Onslaught jump out on a low pass. They have a few Seekers, the Coneheads, but without Starscream to command them the Jets manage to contain them, led by J-3912. "He fights like a Seeker himself," Dead End tells me as I pass by him. Then he launches himself at Brawl while others attack Onslaught. They're ensuring that Bruticus doesn't form. 

Then a shot hits 12, and he goes down. "Get him to medbay," I shout, and transform to lead the jets myself. As I transform, I pass 12, and I sense a spark signature. Even as I transform, I look for who is nearby. But there is no Cybertronian nearby, only 12 and the medidrones helping him. Two other jets go down before I take out Thrust and the others converge on Dirge and Ramjet.

The two fight frantically. Two more jets go down, but Starscream designed the jet's training, and soon Dirge and Ramjet crash. Even as I turn to check, I saw Hook racing over in his alt form. "Put them in stasis if they surrender. If they keep fighting, kill them," I order, and head back to the base. I see Counterpunch facing off on Vortex and Swindle, with Scavenger beside him. "Uninjured jets, assist Lord Counterpunch. Injured, head for the medbay. " With my department heads busy, I contact 30 and 95.

"P-7769 is working with us," he says, "coordinating the fight. He's the best I've ever met with tactics! About half the P-drones fight with Barricade, and some of the higher level drones joined him, the ones who didn't like our changes." He barked a laugh. "Lord Hauler, C-6784 and he are working with G-5299 on the defense. C-2330 and the smaller Commanders work with the Fours because they can get into the service corridors. It's making a huge difference. The Fours know all the service accesses and those are everywhere."

"I'm coming in." I see the jets drive Vortex back, even as Counterpunch and Swindle fight hand to hand. I knock Swindle flying with one good swipe, and Counterpunch pounces even as I enter the base, heading for the medbay. As soon as I ping the door open, a set of drones rush the door, and two get out. Right behind them C-2330 and 95 rush past, firing. One good swing throws the rest of them back. As I enter, the trapped drones retreat. Several Fours stand in a service corridor.

"Get out of our way, you little whores!" a One shouts. I fire, getting two down, but the rest fire back while others rush the Fours. I wonder how many rebel drones roam the Service corridors; I can't fire without killing the Fours too. Just as I think that, the Fours huddle together. As soon as the first One touches them, he flies back into the other two. I fire, and hear firing on either side. The drones go down.

"Good, Fours," C-2330 tell the Fours, who nod even as they slump to the floor. Looking at me, he says, "P-7769's idea. We're herding the rebels into corridors. G-5299 shuts their access down, and then we get into them with the service corridors. The Fours guide us."

"You've done well," I tell the Fours, and they glow at the praise. "Get to safety, and rest." To the others, I say," I need to get to the medbay to speak to 12." I study C-2330 as I speak. Who does he remind me of? Yellow Jacket, was it? Some kind of Autobot with a insect name. Could it be? But he has no spark signature.

"Someone please hear me," I hear then. From the look on 95's face, he hears it as well. "It's 71, but I don't know how much longer, I can't keep fighting him." The com is full of pain and exhaustion.

"71, where are you?" I ask urgently. I hear 95 and C-2330 but focus on that com.

"I don't know, Lord Megatron," the despair in his voice terrible to hear. "I've barely managed to get my com on. The Fallen's reprograming me. If I fight him, he activates a memory file in real time. Alpha's. Torture. I can't keep fighting. It hurts too much." Sudden urgency. "Don't come after me. He's going to kill you. He's forcing me to recall, making me his puppet. Don't come." Then he cut off.

I scream in frustration. "My lord," 95 says, "G-5299 traced the com."

"Traced?" C-2330 says blankly.

"We can trace drone coms if we know who's transmitting," 95 explain, "using what we did to activate the Fours' new programming." C-2330 nodded. I frown; don't all drones know this? "I didn't hear the last part."

"Do you know who the Fallen is?" Most drones don't, but 95 is Epsilon, and he nods. C-2330 shakes his head, and I send him a databurst. "He's reprogramming 71 using Alpha's memory files of torture in real time. " 

95 hisses. "God!" I gauge how much 95's been integrated into Epsilon by that human curse. To C-2330, he explains, "When a drone remembers in real-time, it's like he's actually living the file again." C-2330 hisses in response. Then 95 goes still. "71's in Egypt. Petra."

"Give me the burst. I'm going after him. Who's in the area?" It's desert, and we mined out the mineral resources long ago. There's a communication relay nearby, and I hail Strika.

"We've got them contained," she says, "but they may have reinforcements, we're getting something from the defense net."

"I'm headed for Egypt to deal with the Fallen. Get me backup there. Otherwise, you're in charge. " I cut her off and head outside. On the way, questions swirl through my mind. C-2330 reminds me of the insect Autobot. Many others from that squad behave like Autobots. Then I dismiss the idea. They're fighting for me. Autobots would never do that. Besides, they have no spark signature. Why is the Fallen focusing on 71 like this, now? Why are they in Petra? The Fallen hates Alpha, and no mechanical being I know likes the sand out there. I can't kill the Fallen, but if I can get there in time, I might be able to save 71. Then I can focus on saving my empire before the Fallen destroys us all.

I land in Petra and com 95. "My lord," he says urgently "I've arranged effective assistance. Can you hold on long enough for them to get there?"

"I'll keep a line open and you find me." I tell him. "I have to find 71."

"He's probably Alpha now," 95/Epsilon warns me, his tone heavy.

Pain tears through me. "I'll take that risk. 71 has no personal reason to rebel. The others did."

"Acknowledged," he tells me, and patches me to G-5299 for the trace. I never get the chance to use it. Someone strikes me from behind, throwing me offline. When I on-line again, I lay in this tomb, pinned to the floor and staring up at the Fallen. "Fool! Did you think I didn't know how much you despised me? You built this paltry empire to replace Cybertron and forgot the cause I trained you for!"

"Cybertron is dead already," I spat back at him, and I try to lunge. He holds me to the floor with ease. "Why else would Shockwave come here?"

"He was defeated," he hisses. "By the Autobots. We lied to you. I personally worked with every single exile, those that didn't go over- the traitors! Your precious Starscream? He's rebuilding Vos. Your tame ex-Prime, Sentinel?" Ha, I wish, I think as he rants on. "He's with Optimus. They've rebuilt the space bridge, and I intend to use it to finish what I started!" As he speaks, he brandished something in his hand in my face. It's a delicate filigreed and curved object, beautiful in its own right. "The Matrix of Leadership," he gloats. "I found it in spite of the humans, in spite of my brothers, in spite of all of you! Once my new toy kills you, I'll take control of the rest. Shockwave found out how to keep the drones alive in space. I got the information before they tore him apart. "

He turns to look behind him. "Come, my little one," he croons, and 71 steps up. "Come now. Kill the one who always hurts you, Alpha. He's there before you."

71 steps up. "Yes, Master," he says, and takes the spear. "I will kill the one who torments me. I will give Megatron what he deserves."

He steps forward, slowly. But before he swings, I see his optics come alive again, and where the Fallen cannot see him, he smiles at me.

The spear swings.

 

 


	7. The end of 71 and the beginning of?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fallen reprograms 71 to do anything the corrupted Prime wishes, including kill his beloved Megatron. Someone offers him a way out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Transformers; Hasbro got there first. Oh, well.

I'm in hell. The Pit. Whatever. 

I can't move. The Fallen holds me down with ease as he explores my download. While I firewalled the download, the Fallen grabbed me, and made a hardline connection. Since all my attention was on the firewall, he shredded any remaining defenses and yanked out the one human memory that confirms who my host is. Then the world whited out. In one moment we went from the medbay to a small room with one solitary berth.

Without disconnecting me, he arranges both of us on the berth. I try to struggle, but I can't move. "Such a stubborn little fool," he croons. "I've been waiting a long time for you to recall."

"I'm 71! I'm not Alpha, I won't be Alpha!" I shriek.

"We need to have a little –oh, how did the humans use to put it? We need a little attitude adjustment here. You see, Megatron's always played with you, and you're going to want your revenge, aren't you?" But Megatron's never hurt me. I remember his fierce protection, his hands cleaning my back that first time we met, staring down drones that hit on me, gentle hands teaching me pleasure. The Fallen sighs as I bring up that memory file. "Little fool, can't you see how he's manipulated you? Who doesn't want a beautiful adoring pet waiting on him hand and foot? He's done just enough to keep the Fours from rebelling and you happy and not recalling. The moment you made one little protest, this would happen." He activates a file.

_Pain rips through me, every sensor wide open with pain as shocks go through me. They stop. "Tell us where they are," Vortex says. I draw air into every vent I have. I have to give them time. If I give them enough time, they can get away. I say nothing. Then the pain starts again. Stops. The same question, again and again. Too soon, I break._

I scream until my vocalizer shorts. "That's one of your memory files in real time," he tells me. "Megatron watched." He's reprogramming me, warping the loyalty programming all drones have for loyalty to Megatron, changing it to him. "I told Megatron again and again that the programming on drones is too lenient," he says. "There should be no way the drones can rebel."

I fight him, using knowledge from the download. He punishes me by playing pain files. He sees what the pain does to me and enjoys it. I never liked him but I didn't know he was Unicron's personal servant until now.

I don't want to be Alpha. I don't want to be the Fallen's puppet. I fight despite the pain. But I don't know how much more I can take.

TRTR

Poor 71. He's right. The chances of this physical shell getting out of this one alive are pretty slim and his gentle loving personality is not going to make it at all. I hate that. 

The Fallen. Old and wise and skilled in every form of sneaky cowardly ways to force chaos and misery. How 71 and Megatron's joy infuriated him! He loves 71's pain, loves his despair, as he makes sure that 71 sees the reprogramming. He gets off on that suffering instead of knocking 71 into stasis and just getting on with it. There's where I'm lucky. He's so busy with 71 that he misses me entirely. I sneak around and work on undoing the lock he put on the com. 

I was seriously annoyed with 71 when he fought the recall, not to mention my old friends and fellow Original Five drones for their careless chatter. But his stubborn fight gave me the chance to withdraw when the Fallen came for him. I watch what the Fallen's doing.

That slagger is going to die.

TRTR

"Oh, what do you want!" the Fallen shouts to whoever is at the door. Then he leaves. I gather the tatters of my strength and get out a garbled call. I thank Primus when the first two I reach for, Lord Megatron and 95, answer. I chatter out what I can before the Fallen comes back and offlines the com again, hurting me as he does. This time he jacks in and finishes programming without the torment, brushing aside my struggle effortlessly. At some point the feeling comes back to my body. I stir, and he says, "Be still." I do. I want to struggle and curse, but I can't. He unhooks and says, "Get up." I do. He holds out a cube. "You need to refuel."

"Don't move" something in my head whispers. Great, I'm going insane, hearing voices. I don't move.

"Go on, refuel," the Fallen says impatiently. When I listen to the inner voice and still don't move, he says, "Take the cube." I take it. "Now refuel." I do. It's awful stuff, like the energon I used to get as a service Four. When I finish, I stand holding the cube. "Disperse it," he commands, and I do. For some time, he tests my responses. I've caught on to the voice's idea by this time. I don't do anything unless I'm given a direct order, at which time I do what I am told and nothing more. It annoys the Fallen to the pit and back. A few times he knocks me around. After the hell he just put me through, I barely notice. "I don't have time for this," he snarls. "Do you see this?" He holds up a beautifully curved and filigreed object. "This is the Matrix of Leadership. I'm going to destroy this planet once and for all, and with the energon I get from your sun, I will wake Unicron and unleash destruction on the universe!"

He's insane, I think. "That's not news" the inner voice says with disgust. I don't move, don't react.

The Fallen huffs in irritation and grabs me. The world whites out again, before we are standing in a huge stone room, with one wall torn apart. I see the remains of Cybertronians like the Fallen. Others come and get orders. I don't know most of them.

The inner voice does, and comments constantly. "That's Vortex. He's as bad as the Fallen, loves to hurt people, and he's nuts. That's Motormaster. He's vicious. Looks like the Fallen has every glitchhead Megatron threw out because they couldn't settle down. The better ones came back and settled down. "

"Who are you?" I think.

"Give me a break here, kid. You know who I am." He's doing something. "I'm trying to undo the loyalty programming the Fallen put in," he explains, while I watch the Fallen take reports and give orders, often knocking around his underlings with both his telekinesis and his hands.

"How is this happening?" I think.

"I've been awake a while, kid. Been feeding you files as you need them, instead of running the whole recall. I kept hoping you'd let me come through a little without taking over. You know, I really got annoyed when that download triggered and you tried to stop it. "

"I don't want to be Alpha! I don't want to die!"

He's quiet for a time, working busily. Then he stops and gives a mental vent. "Look, kid, I'm sorry. "he says. The Fallen backhands a mech almost into us. "Ouch, that had to hurt. He's worse than Megatron on Starscream, back before that Seeker disappeared. Look, I meant to just undo this stuff and let you stay at the controls, OK? But I can't. He's hooked this stuff into your core programming. Without the changes I made, you'd just do what he orders, period. With them, you can resist an order, but the moment you do, you're going to glitch to the Pit and back, and he'll know something's going on."

Conflict rushes through me. "What do you mean? What can I do?"

"What you've been doing," he tells me. "The white mutiny stuff. Obey his command to the letter and do nothing else. He thinks it's his programming, and like you see, he doesn't have time to work on you again. " He gives a mental snort. "I was a programmer in the last shell. That shell was an arrogant slaghead before I took over, but he did know his job. If you want a shell to be able to work without constant supervision, there's only so much you can do with the loyalty programming."

"And when I need to act?" I ask.

"You can't," he says sadly. "No matter what I do, you'll glitch. I'll have to take over. I'll still have your memories, you'll be part of Alpha. Part of me."

I can't help it. I feel a washer fluid trail down my face. I've been so happy, and now this. "But if I glitch he has to fix me and you can help again, right?" I ask desperately.

He's sorry for me, I can tell. "Megatron's coming," he reminds me. "That's why the Fallen's in so much of a hurry."

"If I glitch I can't hurt him!" Relief rushes through me.

"True," he agrees, "but you can't help, either, and now that the Fallen's been through your files, he can renew that programming fast. We got lucky that he didn't notice me last time. He was having too much fun playing with you. Next time he's going to find me. "

"I don't understand," I think helplessly. That's when he opens the files and shows me how he works. He and other Original Five got actual implants to interact with the shell, a direct connection to the major brain centers and the larger nerves of the host body before Starscream, Hook and Scalpel figured out one hardline to the brain in the right place is enough.

"We have more control over the drone body and the drone programming," he explains, "since there's standing orders on insertion files that the shell be altered to accommodate such implants. Someone's always fiddling with insertions to make them better so no one questions the orders. That means that our core personality, the ones we had as humans, can cross over to the drone shell."

"I never heard of a human host taking over a shell," I tell him doubtfully. "I know drones that remember being human, but they don't become the human."

"No, that's only the Original five. In essence, we human hosts can take over by uploading a copy of our human and past shell memories into the current shell. That's the recall. The other hosts can't do that the same way. The shells can access their times as humans, even get a sense of the pain and hell they went through, and can bypass the loyalty programming when they do, but shell and host personalities don't integrate the way the original Five do. " He paused. "That, and we all come from a time when humans were free. Before Megatron conquered us."

"You remember being Sam Witwicky?" I remember the first memory.

"Yes. That's why, even though as Alpha I love Megatron and always will, I rebel when the situation for the humans and the drones get unbearable. But not this time. This time, for the first time, the Fallen couldn't sway Megatron and he started working on the problem before it got that far. That's why I fed you files when you needed them and stayed back." He gives a mental growl. "I could've killed the others when they triggered that massive download. Sorry, couldn't help it. I wanted to kick Beta and Gamma for being idiots. Epsilon was right, but by that time the download started and I couldn't stop it."

I think. Everything's gotten quiet, and both of us know that's not good. Megatron will be here any time. "But the Fallen can only be killed by a Prime, and all of them are dead. The Fallen said." He said one of them was an ex-Prime, but I didn't understand that.

"I can help Megatron," he says flatly. He's hiding something from me. "But if you glitch, he'll just kill Megatron himself and reprogram you. Or he might torment him and make you kill him after you're reprogrammed."

It hurts. "I don't want to die," I admit.

"Who does?" he says sadly. "Even suicides just want the pain to stop most of the time. But at least you'll be part of me."

The Fallen appears with Megatron. Holding him to the floor, he rants. I take a deep breath. "All right. Do what you have to."

TRTR

I started stirring a long time ago, when 71's scrapheap of a supervisor started giving him the eye. When Beta started taking care of 71, I went dormant again. When 71 met Megatron, I woke completely, and got the shock of my life. Megatron wanted to stop a rebellion before it started, by taking care of the root problem instead of grinding the source into the dirt. That's a first, an absolute first! What happened to him? I stayed back, watching through 71's eyes instead of taking over the shell.

It took me a while to puzzle it out. He's stopped listening to the Fallen. He figured out that the cowardly slagger tried to replace him with Shockwave. The Fallen hates me, but he loves the chaos I cause when I rebel, or he would have killed me long ago. When he kept trying to trigger a recall, I knew something was going on. That's part of why I stayed quiet. I fed 71 what he needed when he needed it.

Megatron built Alpha for a lot of reasons, none of them good. But when I woke like a sparkling, his protective programming took over. I adored him, and he loved me. We still have that bond, through everything that's happened between us. I rebel out of desperation. When Sam Witwicky's memories broke through that first time-God and Primus, the guilt! What possessed me to send Optimus away like that? It left Earth wide open to conquest. But I thought Megatron wanted the Cube more than he wanted to destroy this planet. I didn't know about the Fallen then. He's the reason Megatron is still here.

In that first rebellion, I rescued humans he meant to execute for rioting. They were just hungry! It would be so easy to get them food, there were surpluses in other areas, but Megatron wouldn't listen to me. He insisted that the humans had to be punished, and that he knew better than a drone a fraction of his age. I knew we had to make it right. We fought for over a human generation before that last desperate push so we could call for help to the only possible source. I died so the others got that chance. When we recalled again, Gamma and Beta told me that the call went through. We didn't try again when there was no response. We were on our own; the Autobots could not or would not help us.

So many times I could have killed Megatron, and didn't. So many times he should have killed me, and didn't. I hoped this time could be different. This time I don't have to rebel; if I can get 71 to recall slowly, we can merge, we can both have a Megatron who will listen to us. But after all this time the Fallen thinks he's gotten what he waited for: the last Prime's death, and the Matrix of Leadership. The Fallen wants this planet destroyed, along with every human on it. Damn him and his obsession to Hell and the Pit!

Jetfire told me about the Matrix and what it's for way back when I rebelled the first time. He's been hiding as a drone all that time! Different drones, really. He found that scanning a shell and transforming into one masks the spark signature. So every time he's been there to help. I kept wondering why he hid as a drone. I know he's not the only one hiding. I've recognized two in particular. I don't look for a spark signature to see if someone's a drone. I'm certain that 30 knows that at least two of 95's squad are Autobots since he's 'facing 84. 71 didn't notice, but I did. It's why I didn't come through to demand why the Autobots are here. 30/Delta is loyal, this time around.

Poor 71. I give him a mental hug just before I override his programming and take the shell.

I smile at Megatron and slam the spear into the Fallen. With my luck, I miss more vital spots but it does knock him down as Megatron gets up. We rush out. But the Fallen grabs both of us and holds us in the air and still, in that ancient street. Most of the buildings are rubble. He must have torn them down one at at time looking for the Matrix.

"You fool!" he shouts. Megatron starts screaming. "I'm going make you watch while I crush his spark a little at a time!"

In that moment J-3912, also known as Jetfire, C-6784 and C-2330 appear behind the Fallen. Jetfire looks awful, with a hasty patch over his spark chamber where the shell was blasted off. They tumble to the ground themselves, but manage to roll to their feet and fire as the Fallen turns. He bellows as he's hit and we drop. In the next moment, the newcomers rise.

Megatron gets to his knees and transforms to the tank. His shot misses as the Fallen blocks it, but when he throws Megatron back, the others drop. Jetfire stays back as C-2330 and C-6784 start to fire. Megatron manages to get another shot off as well. Why isn't the Fallen warping? I wonder, and realize that the spear hit his space bridge. I also see that he keeps the Matrix in his hand instead of subspacing it to safety. Is it enhancing his power? This time he manages to get everyone but me and Jetfire into the air. "You can't defeat me!" he exults. "Only another Prime can defeat me!"

I race up and strike the Matrix from his hand. He backhands me away, but Jetfire strikes from the other side with the ax he uses as a staff. The others fall when the Fallen knocks the jet away, but Megatron, who can only get to his knees, knocks the Fallen's legs from underneath him. The Fallen crushes Megatron's arm as the drones transform. The larger transformed drone strikes at the Fallen with a huge war ax. The Fallen's head rolls away and stops by the Matrix.

I push myself up and pick up the spear. "Thanks," I say , trying to com out and failing. The Fallen turned it off. I work on getting it back on.

"You're quite welcome," Optimus said as he leans over and picks up the Matrix.

"Brother," Megatron finally manages. He's clutching at his arm and venting heavily. Now that the overdrive from the battle hits him, his injuries make themselves known. "The Fallen thought you were dead. How-Why-" He tries to stand and fails.

I drop my spear to run over and help him. As I get the energon flow stopped by holding the main fuel line in his arm, I get my com working and contact 30. I look at Megatron as see he is getting the same news as I am. 30's asking if the squad can come back because the Autobots just appeared in overwhelming force.

Once again, I've made a terrible mistake regarding the Autobots. You'd think I'd learn.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guess where the Autobots got their drone numbers? The answer is revealed in a later chapter.


	8. Megatron gets news he does not want.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Transformers, though I wish I did.

I hurt. My arm leaks energon steadily, and my chest burns. The Fallen's remains lie in front of me. Irony, that the Prime he thought dead killed him, a Prime who hid as a drone under our pedes. C-2330 stands beside him, transformed into the Autobot with the insect name, . I can see the wound through the shell on J-3912. No wonder he fought like a Seeker. J-no, Jetfire- doesn't look much better than I feel. He leans hard on his staff.

"Brother," I say. "The Fallen thought you were dead. How-Why-" I try to stand, but I can't. My processor can't keep up with all the changes. While Optimus keeps that oversized ax out, he's not threatening me with it. Alpha runs over and stops the bleeding by holding the main fuel line on my arm. While he works, I call Strika, and get no answer. Instead, I call Long Haul. "Situation?"

"Strika's dead. Barricade got a spark shot in before her squads overwhelmed him and his allies. He was the last traitor left. The rest are dead." He sounds eager to give me good news. "But-" He stops, and the rest comes out in a rush. "Autobot forces showed up out of nowhere. They went past the defense network with no problem at all. They choked off the Moon base and currently hover just outside the blast radius for the ground defenses. The one exception is a huge ship that is coming down for a landing." He waits for the cursing or screaming or orders.

I look up and see the ship he's referring to. I look down and see Alpha is getting the same news. I send Long Haul a databurst of my situation. "If the Autobots attack, fight back. Otherwise clean up the mess and wait to hear from me." I cut him off there. The smaller Autobot comes up and offers a patch, which Alpha uses. At least I'm not leaking anymore.

"I've called for pickup and a medic," Optimus says. "I can explain on board. "

"No," I say, as though he would listen. I can't stand up and I doubt I could fire if I wanted to, but I'm not going on that ship without whatever struggle I can manage.

"We have perfectly good medics available, thank you," Alpha elaborates for me. "What are you doing here, Optimus Prime?" He moves to stand in front of me, where a killing shot at me would go through him first.

"Looking for the Matrix, looking for Alpha, and gathering information," the Prime says calmly. "Alpha sent me a message, some time ago, asking for help. I wanted to investigate the situation before acting." He looks up. Alpha follows his gaze, seeing the ship above us the first time.

"And what then?" he asks, his vocalizer rising with each word. "That was twenty-some generations ago, and where the hell were we needed you, when my first shell died to get that message out? When all of us got thrown into a cycle of rebellion and rebirth?"

"It was lost and only recently found." Optimus stands more than twice Alpha's height. He's backing away. Alpha doesn't even have a weapon, since he dropped it to see to me. 

"So now just when we get Megatron to the point where he's finally listening to someone besides that spawn of Unicron, you come along and just take over?" Alpha's vocalizer must be hitting its highest registers by now. It's possible the ship can hear him.

"No," Optimus said, trying to stem the flow. I could have told him to spare his vocalizer.

"No?" Alpha snarls, taking a step away from me. He radiates self-righteous rage. "So how do you explain that?" He points at the huge ship making its way down at some distance from us. I see a shuttle peel away from it and head our way. "An investigation doesn't take an army!"

"True," Optimus tries again, looking toward me for help. I just vent. Nothing less than a cannon blast will stop Alpha at this point.

He points to the Fallen's dead body. "Here, right here, was more than half of the problem. You've got the Matrix. You and Jetfire and Bumblebee and whoever else you've got scattered around spying for you did your investigating. Fragging over 30 while you're at it, I might add. He just called, asking me if you were all right, asking me to send you back to help fight the Autobots when they attack. What the Pit will he think when he finds out his lover is the one who brought them?" That jab makes Optimus wince. So 30 doesn't know either, with the two of them that close? Did 95, who works with C-6784 constantly? He must, to know that 84 would be 'effective'. Did the other recalled drones know?

"Where's 71 and what did you do to him?" the yellow bot asks. Grief splashes over Alpha's face. Startled and unhappy at the reaction, the bot looks from Alpha to Jetfire. "I'm sorry, I was joking-"

"71 recalled," Jetfire says flatly. "That's Alpha, in front of you."

My head sags. I knew with my processor that Alpha came through, but Jetfire's words drive the knowledge into my spark. "I'm sorry, Megatron," Alpha tells me, and I can hear the pain in his voice. "He was a good kid. I didn't want to, but we didn't have a choice. That piece of slag reprogrammed him into a puppet. "

"I saw," I tell him, lifting my head to look at him with some effort. Bumblebee and Optimus just look confused.

Alpha turns to Optimus. "You want to talk to me? Fine. Tell your damned army to go back to wherever the hell they came from, and send a decent diplomatic delegation when we've had time to clean up from this mess. "

"Take it down an octave, and give the Prime a chance to speak," Jetfire tells him testily, as the shuttle lands and mechs emerge. I try to stand again, and again get nowhere. "If he wanted you dead, Megatron, you would be."

"I did complete my investigation," Optimus says to Alpha. "I offer all of you choices. I ask you to come to Fort Maximus and discuss them, as my guests."

"Oh?" Alpha challenges. "Since when do you need an army to offer choices? Or extend an invitation? "

"I needed to be sure you would listen," the Prime replies in a bland voice, as the mechs approach warily. One is Ultra Magnus, one of the few Autobots that can give a challenge when I'm normal. Two of the mechs herd a cursing Alpha away as Optimus and Ultra Magnus disable my weapons, my transformation cog, and my com. So much for being a guest, I think.

When we get to the medbay, Optimus stays behind as Ultra Magus leaves. "Call me when Hoist gets to you," he tells Optimus, and gives me a hostile glance. We've tangled in the past.

Hoist runs some scans on me. "I've never seen anything like it," the orange and green medic says, mystified. "There are dents in your spark chamber. I'm sure it hurts like the Pit, but your spark's strong. Considering the risk working that close to your spark, you're better off letting your self-repair take care of it." He offers some painkiller energon, but I refuse it, wanting to keep my head clear. He doesn't argue, only turns off the pain receptors in my arm and starts to work taking off the patch and starting the repair. Jetfire lies on a berth nearby, with a new repair over his spark chamber.

Alpha sits on a berth, watching anxiously. Bumblebee stands nearby. "Is it true your host is Sam Witwicky?" he asks.

"When did Ratchet finally get around to repairing your voice?" Alpha asks instead of replying. "Which is good, since we don't have radio stations you can use anymore."

"You're Sam," he says.

"I was when I was human," Alpha tells him. "I was a human for seventeen years. I was a drone for more than twenty generations before I recalled , so I'm Alpha."

Bumblebee considers that and vents. "That makes a weird kind of sense," he admits. "But I still don't understand how you were 71 and now you're Alpha. I know Jetfire said you recalled, but I thought that just meant you got access to your human host's memories."

"I'm different," Alpha says, and jumps up to pace.

I can see the signs of a meltdown, but before I can speak up, Hoist says, "I'm going to turn your receptors back on. Please move your arm." The feeling returns to my arm, and I move it. While Hook could do better, I decide the repair was adequate. I thank the medic stiffly. He trots over to Jetfire to check that the welds on the repair set properly.

"What happened to 71?" Bumblebee persists before I can stop him.

"Look, 71's gone," Alpha says, and his vocalizer gets full of static. "I had to override him," and his vocalizer went into static again. Ultra Magnus appears at the door, but stands watching silently.

"You mean you killed him?" Bumblebee says, and his look is hostile. I remember that he escorted 71 a lot because 71 liked him.

"There were two personalities in you?" Hoist ventures. "And you erased his to take control?"

"I had to!" Alpha shouts. "You don't understand." He looks at me, pleading with his optics. "I didn't have a choice."

Usually when I need to calm down Alpha in a state like this-that includes any of his shells, 71 included- I prefer to use at least two cubes of high grade and some prolonged interfacing. At this moment that's not an option. Instead I hold out my arms.

Alpha rushes to me. "It's all right," I tell him. "I knew 71 would recall sometime. I knew who his host was as soon as I saw him." With my good arm, I bring him to my lap. "Tell me what happened. 35 said 71 recalled and the Fallen took you from the medbay." I glance at the Autobots, but they only stare in shock. Bumblebee opens his mouth, but Jetfire smacks him and he says nothing.

Alpha presses his head into my neck. "71 tried to firewall off the download," he says, barely loud enough for the others to hear. He described what happened. "He fought so hard. If he hadn't, the Fallen would have found me, and all of us would've died. He was so busy tormenting 71 and hacking the shell programming that he didn't look further."

The Autobots look at us with horror. "The Fallen hacked him?" Hoist asks. To some Cybertronians, being hacked is the worst form of torture. "But you weren't affected."

Alpha nodded. "He didn't want to die," he says, and had to reset his vocalizer again. "But I couldn't undo the hack. He hooked it into 71's core programming, made him a puppet."

"So 71 had the choice of being controlled by the Fallen or letting you overwrite him," Hoist sums up, and I see sympathy and understanding on all their faces. These are battle-hardened soldiers, and all of them understand hard choices.

"Before I tried, 71 was a puppet. I didn't want to overwrite him, but we had no time. I couldn't undo the hack. The best I could do was make sure I had all his memories stored. He told me to do what I had to." He presses his face into my neck and keens.

"When you overrode him, it erased the hack because you essentially replaced that programming with your own," Hoist says slowly. 

"Yes," Alpha says, and his vents hitch again.

"Alpha," I said softly, moving my hand to his neck and rubbing. "You know the Fallen intended to destroy Earth and the humans. So did 71."

He nods against me. "I know," he whispers.

"So we had to stop him. "I move to his shoulders, and they relax a little. "71 was hacked. He couldn't fight. He knew that. He accepted it. "

"You were so happy with him," Alpha whispered. "He had such a hard life, and he was happy for such a short time. I wanted to merge. We could have done it. If he'd just accepted the download-"

"The Fallen would have hacked through to you. You would have killed me when he told you, and either be dead now, or still be his puppet. You know that." Alpha vents again, refusing to weep in front of me. "I'll miss 71. But I have my Alpha back. "I move to rub his back, in that one good place, and feel the tension drain from him. "It's all right," I say again.

When I look up, I see five Autobots gaping at us in shock. Ultra Magnus shakes his head. "Where is Megatron and what did you do to him?" he asks.

"Come," Optimus Prime says. "We'll discuss matters after recharge." They didn't try to separate us as we followed them to a room. It wasn't the brig, which I half-expected, but it locked from the outside, and if I bothered to look I knew I'd find about thirty security cameras. I didn't care. The only thing both of us wanted was that berth, and if they wanted to watch the two of us recharge, let them.

I wake to the familiar feeling of Alpha's warmth against my side. When I stir, he wakes as well, and his hands wander to some interesting places. "My chest still hurts," I tell him.

"You need some distraction," he says, and doesn't stop.

"You know they're watching us," I advise.

"Let's give them a show," he suggests. I grab his hands before he gets too convincing. Fortunately for me, the door opens and a glowering Ironhide appears with his cannons out. I glimpse Ultra Magnus behind him. "Primus, Ironhide, I know you're proud of your cannons, but do you use them for everything? We don't need a shot to wake us up." I hear a rumble of laughter from the larger mech.

Blindsided, Ironhide stars at Alpha. "Do I know you?" he asks.

Alpha gets up and stretches. I enjoy the baffled look on the old soldier's face. "We met the last time you were on Earth," Alpha says. To me he adds, "Looks like he didn't get the memo."

"Brat," I say. Alpha snickers. Ironhide growls.

"Since you're awake," Ultra Magnus says, "I thought you might like to use the Prime's washracks. Afterwards, Optimus needs to speak to you. Alpha, Ironhide will escort you."

"I want to stay with Megatron," Alpha argues.

"That is not an option," Ultra Magnus says. Alpha presses against me. "The washracks for the Prime are tailored to mechs our size. They would flatten you. The regular washracks are too small for Megatron." Then he smiles. "Don't you want to get the sand off?"

I do. So does Alpha, from the way he rubs his arm. "If I have to have an escort, where's Bumblebee?"

"Elsewhere," Ultra Magnus says. "Go with Ironhide." That was a command. Alpha considers his options, and mischievous light fires up in his optics. He glances at me. My mouth twitches. That's all he needs. Meekly, he goes with Ironhide.

84 knew 71. Before recharge, Optimus saw Alpha in distress. He has no idea what Alpha is capable of. I say nothing and go with Ultra Magnus. I expect to have Alpha back with me by the end of the cycle.

The washracks feel wonderful. I take my time, getting the sand out of my joints and missing 71, who loved to polish me afterwards. Well, normally we wound up doing more than polish, if we had time. Primus, I miss him.

When I finish drying, I find Optimus waiting instead of Ultra Magnus. He takes me to his office, where several datapads and a cube of energon await me. "Tell me when you finish," he says, and sits behind his desk. There's a large porthole behind it, with a wonderful view of sand and sunlight. 

By the time I finish the datapads, I'm wishing for high grade. A lot of it. How could I be so blind? "So you have Iacon and Tyger Pax rebuilt," I say slowly. "Starscream is rebuilding Vos with his trine and a few others. Why didn't the Coneheads stay?"

"They contested with Starscream and lost," Optimus explains. "When they lost, they started working with the Combaticons, raiding all the cities." I hiss and put down the datapad.

"It seems that the word traveled everywhere but here," I state with some bitterness. He has more than triple the population I do to draw on, including the ones I sent out to search who never came back. Anyone is accepted, regardless of faction, who swears to stop fighting and obey the laws of the planet. "So, who rules Cybertron?"

"I head the Council," he tells me.

"And Sentinel? " The datapads mentioned Sentinel in passing as helping to build the space bridge, but Sentinel already had a space bridge. I remembered our deal. He would find a suitable planet, and we would use the space bridge to bring Cybertron to it and use the planet's resources, including its population, to rebuild. If I had access to my weapons, they would be powering up now. While I build Alpha's shell, I had two alternatives. If we found the Matrix, I would harvest the Sun, revive the hatchlings, and use the energon to revive Cybertron. If I found the Autobots and regained the Cube, I would wake Sentinel and use the Cube and Earth's resources to rebuild Cybertron. I never found either. The hatchlings died, and I became absorbed in creating and maintaining my mixed human/drone/Cybertronian empire. Between Alpha and his rebellions, and the work of maintaining an empire, the dream of reviving a dead Cybertron became more and more remote.

Cybertron will not take my people to rebuild. I'll die and take the last Prime with me first.

"I know of your pact with Sentinel," he says. "He smiles grimly. "Once I knew the purpose of the lead pillar, I destroyed it. Sentinel was not happy with me."

"I gather you won that fight." Sentinel was a powerful mech. How much help did it take?

"When I applied the Cube to repair him, the All-Spark within it passed judgment and downgraded him. He is no longer a Prime."

I sit and process that. Then I process it again. "Why are you here?" I ask again. "You've put out a lot of resources to come here. "Those were resources badly needed for rebuilding. He had enough firepower to swoop down and completely take over my empire within weeks. Instead he was sitting here talking to me. Why? "You can rest assured," I added, "that I am listening."

He got up and went to the porthole. "The All-Spark is missing part of itself," he says so softly I have to strain to hear. "In all the time that we have settled Cybertron, we have only had ten successful sparks."

I close my eyes. "Ten sparklings in all this time," I repeat. He nods, not looking at me.

"I know where the part went," he goes on. "But I believed that in all this time, it was lost. Then Perceptor came across a reference to the Matrix of Leadership. We hoped it would help, as it is a powerful artifact. By that time, we made contact with Jetfire. From him we learned that the Matrix was on Earth, and of the existence of the Fallen. So, we came to investigate. I had to come, as only a Prime can touch the Matrix. "He turned to me. "You do know that if the Fallen succeeded, he wanted to wake Unicron."

"No," I admit. "I didn't know that."

"So, we came. We managed to insinuate ourselves into the drones. "He sits down. "We collected a great deal of information, some of it pertinent, some of it not."

"As in how to overload with a drone?" I asked, and enjoy the look he gives me. "You do know that 30 is Delta?" I've startled him. "One of the original five drones. His host is Will Lennox." I let him squirm for a time before I drag my processor back to business. "What did you learn and why is it important?"

"We learned that you believed Cybertron dead, and therefore did not send the Combaticons to prey on us," he says slowly. "We learned that over these centuries, you have changed, and this world has changed."

"So?" I ask, wishing he would get on with it. "What next?"

"One suggestion," he says, " is that we could evacuate the planet, use the Sun Harvester, and take the population to Cybertron to rebuild. There are many planets that the humans can settle in time." He raises his hand as I almost come out of my chair. "I opposed this, and Sentinel does not have the backing to push the matter. " I settle back, still seething. "Another, the one I favor, is to bring you and your fellow Cybertronians back home. There are plenty of cities to rebuild. In return for assisting the humans and drones to self-rule, we ask to use the resources in this asteroid field and the solar system, which at this time the humans do not need." He levels a hard look at me. "One thing I do insist on. There will be no more drones unless and until the human goes in aware and able to control the shell. Wheeljack and Perceptor can work on this if the humans wish to continue the drone program." He paused. "I do know that many of the drones like the idea of self-rule."

Of course they would. "Which drone did you work with?" I ask. Who betrayed me? I wonder.

"None of them knew I was 84 until the Fallen took 71 and you told 95 you were going after him. At that time I explained the matter to him. He knew that if this world was to survive, he had to cooperate with me. He did not like it."

I vented deeply. So, none of my original five drones betrayed me. "Why did you want to talk to Alpha?" I asked.

This time he vented slowly. Then he showed me a hologram, when Sam handed him the Cube. I stared. "He asked you to swear on the All-Spark," I ask. "Not the Cube?"

He nods. "Not only that. When both of us touched the Cube, something spoke to me, telling me to swear and to go. I believe the All-Spark was controlling Sam." My tank begins to churn and my spark to twist. Of course he thought the All-Spark remnant lost, because it went into a human.

For my race to go on, the All-Spark needs the rest of itself, and now Optimus knows that the being it went into is still alive.

Sam Witwicky. Alpha's host.

 


	9. Alpha : Separation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alpha explores Fort Maximus with and without permission, and learns that the danger to his world is not over.

 

 

 

I take Megatron's expression as permission to raise all the hell I can manage. Still, I go to the washracks with Ironhide without a fuss; once Ultra Magnus mentions sand, I feel coated with it. I head for the one the back corner.  I wish I was with Megatron; usually I polish him afterward and that leads to some fun. As the water runs over me, I cast my processor back to the confrontation before that shuttle landed. I line up questions I want answered, and there are a lot of them. Besides, I needed to know how the fight went. I didn't get much from 30. So, as I begin to scrub, I contact 95.

"What the hell is going on?" he explodes, and I send him a databurst. There's a short pause, and this time his com sounds tired and puzzled. "I just sent that to the others." He sends me a databurst while the others join us.

"Well, the Sun's still here, the rebellion is over, Megatron and all of us are alive," I say when all of us absorb the info. "I'm sorry about 71." Grief and guilt hit me again.

"He was a good kid, but Megatron was right," 95 said. "How do think I felt when two of my squad turn out to be Autobots? But when they told me about what the Fallen could do with the Matrix, I had to make the call."

"You made the right one," I tell him. "Not only will I take the Autobots over the Fallen any day, I like the Sun the way it is. And only the Prime could defeat the Fallen. " I consider what the databurst."Pits! If Barricade wasn't dead, I'd kill him for taking Strika out." No matter how much of a mean bitch she was, she could hold the others in line while remaining loyal to Megatron.

"Where's Megatron? Right now Counterstrike and Long Haul are working together, but they can't keep the rest in line for long even with the Autobots breathing down their necks," 95 says, and 30 agrees profanely.

"He's talking to Optimus." God in Heaven and Primus in the Matrix, it felt good to have the sand off! "They separated us this morning."

"84 was Optimus the whole time?" 30 says, and I hear the hurt in his voice. "But-but I've knew him before he got on the squad!"

"How well?" 35 asks him. "You haven't been 'facing him that long, right?" I see Ironhide look over. I pretend to get sand out of my joints. Then he steps out. Good. "Besides, you didn't exactly tell him about being Delta, did you?"

"No. And we started 'facing after I got on the committee. Before that he was just another Commander, assigned to patrol in the boondocks. If I remember right his shell and a few others had the oddball names because they were experimental models." That's not unusual. They're always fiddling with the drone shells, and sometimes they give oddball numbers if the status is a One.

"I picked him because he had a reputation for being fair, but tough," 95 said unhappily. "And I never had a clue until he transformed in front of me!"

I remind him that Megatron and the other True Decepticons, who knew Optimus a lot better than we did, never noticed either. "71 didn't know but I did. I didn't want to come through because he was so happy, and I thought 95 and 30 knew. Since I trusted you guys-"

"Enough with the blame game!" 35 shouts, and I wince into the spray. "Deal with now, okay? Now, how do we find the rest of the spies?"

"Remember way, way back when we had telephones and letters were assigned to the numbers?" I ask. After a pause, they agree, puzzled. "Apply it to 84 and 330. Then think about anyone else with an experimental name."

"Hey, I thought Jazz died?" 47 exclaimed a few minutes later. 35 works through possible names on P-7769, and in a moment gives several ideas.

"Guess not," 95 said. "There's part of our answer. He's right in the middle of the computer network, isn't he? Not to mention P-7769, who's Counterpunch's right hand drone. He could do a lot of playing with the backgrounds and such there."

"Look, they repaired Megatron's arm, and took him to Prime's washracks, so I doubt they intend to kill him. But I have a lot of questions that need answers," I remind them.

"Yeah," 30 agrees. "Like, why did the Prime come on a scout mission when supposedly he's their leader? You don't risk the top guy like that unless you've got no choice."

"How does the Matrix harvest the Sun?" 47 asks. "The energon has to go somewhere, and that was just an itty- bitty thing. Why does Optimus want the Matrix? "

"Why does he want to talk, specifically, to Alpha and if he does why is he talking to Megatron first? " 35 asked. "For that matter, if they're rebuilding Cybertron, why did they bring an army ? Why spend all that money and time for Earth? It's not for us and the humans, I'm sure of that."

"He said he offered choices," I added, "but what choices?" I glanced over at Ironhide again. He's scowling in my direction. "Look, I've got to go. I'll keep my ears open. You guys get hold of those two and whoever else you think might have answers, and let me know."

I turn off the spray and turn on the dryer. Ironhide comes over while I'm finishing. "Take you long enough?" he grumps.

"You weren't fighting in that damned sand yesterday," I point out. "It gets everywhere, let me tell you, and it itches." He takes a few steps and waits. I don't move. "Where are we going?"

"Rec room," he informs me, and I fall in with him. The moment he mentions the rec room, I realize how long since I refueled. Besides, I need to know where the fuel is.

When we enter the rec room, every optic in the place swivels to me. I follow Ironhide to the energon dispenser conscious of about twenty Autobots in a kaleidoscope of colors and sizes. Murmurs start, most of them curious or hostile. One of the smaller ones, only about a meter taller than I am and a bright red, steps in front of me. "What's a Decepticon doing here?" he asks. "Why isn't he in the brig?"

Ironhide shoves the hostile Autobot away from me. "Get back, Cliffjumper. Prime wants to talk to him when he's finished with Megatron. "

"I told Optimus we'd be glad to go home after all of us defeated the Fallen," I say, loud enough for the room to hear, "but he insisted that we were his guests. Well, now everyone in the room including Ironhide gawks at me." I sip from the cube he gives me. It's as good as the kind Megatron gets, and goes down just fine.

"You helped stop the Fallen," Cliffjumper says, disbelief in his voice. He looks at me, with my small frame, no weapons, and none of the sharp bits and claws most Deepticons have. He huffs in disbelief but sits down.

"Me, Megatron, Optimus, Jetfire and Bumblebee," I qualify. "I took out his space bridge." I was aiming for something more vital, but they didn't know that.

"Sit down and tell us what happened," Ironhide demands, grabbing my arm and moving me to a nearby seat. I sip and tell them about the fight with the Fallen, just saying that the Fallen kidnapped me. I skip the part about 71 and the hacking. "So taking out the space bridge was a lucky hit," Ironhide concludes.

I shrug. "I still took out his space bridge and knocked the Matrix out of his hand. With his own spear, too." Ironhide snorts, amused, as laughter runs through the room. "So what are you guys doing here?" I ask, looking around.

"Pirates," Cliffjumper says. "Those Combaticons and the Coneheads cowards kept sneaking in, blowing up buildings and stealing energon, and they almost killed a sparkling! " He sounds almost sulky when he adds, "But when we got here, they were fighting you, so we waited."

"That's where they've been all this time?" I ask, and suddenly the Fallen's strategy falls into place. The Fallen wasn't just playing Megatron. He was playing the Autobots as well, planning a massive chain of destruction. "They goaded you," I said. "Goaded you until you came after them, and then they attacked here. They wanted you to attack Earth." I look over at Ultra Magnus. He's putting the pieces together, too, but he doesn't want to discuss it in front of the troops. "But why did the Prime come first?"

"The Prime came for the Matrix," he says.

"Well, Optimus has it, and good riddance," I say emphatically. They look surprised. "We need the Sun right where it is. But how does the Matrix work? How can something this small," I sketched out the size and shape of the Matrix, "harvest a Sun? For that matter, why's it called a Matrix of Leadership if it makes stars into energon?"

This time the optics move from me to Ultra Magnus. "It's called a Matrix of Leadership because only Primes can use it," he explains. "It can do a lot more than activate the Sun Harvester. I wonder why the Fallen never used it before?"

"Right before I stuck the spear in him, he held it in front of Megatron and said something about how he found it in spite of Megatron and in spite of his brothers." I shiver, remembering that moment and just how close we were to losing not just our lives, but my world.

"Megatron didn't want him to find it?" Ironhide asks. Murmurs run through the room.

"No. He thought Cybertron was dead. He had no intention of letting the Fallen destroy this planet when he had nowhere to go. "Dead silence follows.

"How would you know?" Cliffjumper wonders out loud. "He's Megatron, there's no telling what he's hiding. " They don't want to believe me. They came thinking they could get rid of Megatron once and for all.

"I'm his personal assistant," I point out.

"And his lover," Ironhide adds. "Why do you think Megatron went after him, you scraphead?"

Everyone looks at me again. I resist the urge to squirm. "I said, "You came to stop the pirates, and Prime came to get the Matrix. The reason must've been pretty important if he came himself. "

Attention turns again to Ultra Magnus. "Optimus is discussing the matter with Megatron now," he says smoothly. "If you're finished, I'd like to talk to you." Around us a buzz starts up. I walk out with Ultra Magnus and Ironhide feeling pretty irritated with myself. I need to discuss this with Megatron, not one of Optimus Prime's top people. We go straight to an office. I wonder if it belongs to someone, since it's got no decoration at all, just a desk and some chairs. Ultra Magnus sits behind the desk. Ironhide and I sit across from him. "Let me get this straight," Ultra Magnus says. "Megatron thought Cybertron was dead, because Shockwave and the Fallen told him that, and because his scouts never came back." He leans over his desk, looking at me intently.

"The one lead they gave him came up a dead end, an old base or something," I tell him. "It was a trick to get him away from Earth so Shockwave could take over. He got back just in time to settle things down." I feel silly in the chair; it's made for one of the larger bots, not a small drone, and my feet dangle.

They trade looks. "So Megatron didn't order them to attack Cybertron? " The tension in the room is thick enough to cut. I shake my head. Ultra Magnus says carefully, "So the Fallen, he was Megatron's master? He was the leader of the Decepticons?"

"His name was Megatronus Prime," I say. That gets a reaction from both of them. "Megatron called him Master, and at first they worked together, but before Shockwave they started having problems. Megatron was always the leader. The Fallen wanted it that way. He wouldn't come out until he knew the last Prime was dead, because only a Prime could defeat him."

"One of the Original Thirteen," Ironhide whispers. "The one who turned on his brothers. Primus help us all. "Now he believes me. Ultra Magnus nods, just as shaken. "But why kill Megatron?"

"I think the Fallen figured out where the Matrix was only recently. When he believed that Optimus Prime died, I think he planned to goad you into an attack, and use the Matrix and the Sun Destroyer when you came after us, while all the fighting was going on and no one was paying attention. He had to kill Megatron first, because Megatron knew what he would do with the Matrix. That's why he went after me, to distract Megatron and kill him before Megatron brought enough troops to stop him. "

The huge warrior thought it over. "Why did he think Optimus was dead?"

"Scanning a drone shell and transforming hides the spark signature of the Cybertronian. Jetfire's been using it for ages to hide from the Fallen. I think that has something to do with it. He told Megatron that someone called Sentinel wasn't a Prime anymore." I shift in my chair, wishing I could talk to Megatron, but I want convince these two that Megatron never sent the 'pirates.'

"There were some rumors that Optimus was dead after he left to find the Matrix," Ultra Magnus murmurs. "The pirates probably heard them. Between those and the blocked spark-"I nod. "We got word from Optimus to stand down as soon as we arrived, something about a rebellion. That was our pirates, then?"

"Yes. They were working with the Fallen against Megatron; I heard him say so."

"Megatron's changed," Ultra Magnus says, and his voice is grudging. "I need to speak to Optimus, let him know about all this, but I see now why Optimus told us not to attack. This changes everything. " I relax. Maybe the Autobots and Decepticons can work matters out now that the Fallen is gone.

Then I remember the most important question. "Why did Optimus Prime come after the Matrix?" I ask. Maybe if I phrase the question right, I'll get an answer.

"It's a powerful artifact," Ultra Magnus answers. "We need it in the rebuilding. "

"By using it for its original purpose?" I challenge him.

"We don't kill races wholesale," Ironshide growls. "That's Decepticon behavior."

I shrug, unimpressed. Ultra Magnus steps in before Ironhide explodes. "We thought Alpha was a rebel. But now it seems you're Megatron's lover, and the rebellion was Decepticon against Decepticon."

"This one was," I agree.

He gives me a hard look, but decides not to pursue the matter. " Ironhide, take Alpha here on a tour or something while I try to speak to Optimus." I walk with Ironhide and pay attention to the lay of the ship. I also spot several small doors. When I point one out, Ironhide tells me they are maintenance vents. I want to contact the others, but I don't want Ironhide to know my com's working; the bots turned Megatron's off, but not mine.

"How old are you, Alpha?" Ironhide asks as we wander around. 

"I was the first drone," I say simply. "I went into my shell a year after the Autobots got the Cube and left Earth. "

He adds up the years, and I see the skepticism. "Humans only live about a vorn."

"A human in a drone shell is different. I don't understand all the mechanics, because that's one thing only True Decepticons, the Cybertronians, handle. They don't want humans or drones knowing how the rebirth works. I do know that drones, the human host in the cybertronian shell, can live more than two or three times longer than humans. My first shell survived almost a thousand years, but the ones they make now don't last that long. There are five of us that have survived since then. The Original Five, we're called."

"It's hard to believe," he said. I shrug. "But that still not close to the time that's passed."

"Human hosts can be recycled when the drone shell is destroyed, if the human host isn't damaged or heavily damaged. They have to get to a rebirth center fast enough. I've been recycled several times. "

Ironhide looks like he's been hit with a clue bat. "You said this morning that I met you the last time I was on Earth. Then you said something about my cannons. You're Sam. Sam Witwicky."

"Congratulations, you can take a hint," I say dryly, but his excitement's got me nervous. "I prefer Alpha," and explain why. Eventually the tour ends back at the rec room, which has only about five people in it. They're all hunched over a game of some kind. Ironhide finds a datapad for me to look at, firmly puts me on a seat as far from the door as possible, and goes over to speak with them.

I pretend to look at the datapad, and contact 35, who brings in the others. After assuring them that I'm fine and haven't seen Megatron, I relay what I've found so far. "Primus," 35 says, sounding subdued, "we just barely dodged that bullet, didn't we?" 

Noise erupts from the table. I glance over and catch Ironhide's optic for a moment, before looking back at the datapad. "Ultra Magnus danced around that Matrix question, though," I tell them. "We know they brought the army thinking we attacked them, but has anyone headed for home?" None have that they know of. When I glance back over, I see Ironhide joining in the discussion, gesturing at the table with some animation. I slide from the chair I'm on to the next one.

"Megatron set out a worldwide broadcast, stating that there is no war, that he and Optimus Prime stopped a threat to our Sun and that there was a misunderstanding. He and Optimus Prime are discussing some matters, and he will inform everyone when the discussions are concluded. He looked fine. "

"Good. You guys had a chance to talk to those pretenders yet?" The noise level goes down again and the game seemed to continue. Ironhide still looks over at me, but less often. I slide to another chair.

95 says, "I did better. I overheard them talking. One of the Fours showed me a service corridor close to Jazz's office. P-7769 is Prowl, by the way. I intended to force a meeting but when I checked it out, I heard them talking." His voice was grim. "Here's the deal. That Cube? It's how they have kids, kind've like that demonstration we got at Hoover Dam. Well, since they got to Cybertron, they've only had ten kids, sparklings they call them, that lived. Something about how when it was on Earth it left something of itself behind, and they were sure that whatever it was is long gone."

"Ten? In all that time?" 47 says, but all of us are shocked. No wonder they're desperate. That kind of birth rate is a death sentence for any race, even on as long lived as the Cybertronians.

"Yeah. So they wanted the Matrix hoping it'll fix the Cube somehow, or give it enough power to work better. Not only is the Prime the only one who can use the Matrix, he's the only one who can touch it. Otherwise there are 'unforeseen consequences.' Like somebody dies, they think. " A few mechs come in, get energon, and wander over to the game table. They talk to Ironhide while watching the game. I slide over to another chair. Since I'm working toward them and not the door, Ironhide stays where he is.

"So why aren't they leaving with it?" 35 wonders. I hear water. He must be in the washrack.

"Because they did find the last part, said that Prime picked it up at the same time as he got the Matrix." I wonder when they had the chance to do that. Maybe they went somewhere else before they got to me and Megatron.

"And now some of them are talking about grabbing up Earth's resources and then using the Matrix like the Fallen would."

30 howls, "The Autobots want to destroy the Sun? They'd sacrifice all the life on Earth?" He's in a rec room somewhere, considering the muffled voices in the background.

95 tells us, "We're part of the resources, dude, the main part. They can get all kinds of minerals and such from space, but intelligent workers aren't easy to find. Jazz and Prowl don't like the idea, and from what they said, neither does Prime, but people back on Cybertron who never saw Earth or met a human think it's a great solution."

"Yeah, it's easy to talk that way about someplace you never went and people you never met," 35 says. "But can Prime and the others say no? And what will Megatron do if they offer to let him go home ?"

_"We_  can't leave Earth," 47 reminds him. Behind her I can hear muffled sounds of a sickbay. "Drones can't survive space." Like we'd forget, I think sourly.

30 says, "You remember Swindle? He got hold of some of Shockwave's research for the Fallen, and he's bargaining a release against telling where it is. He said Shockwave found a way."

"The Fallen said that, too," I tell them, feeling sick. "Guys, we have to find this Sun Harvester and get rid of it. If it's not there, they can't use it. I'll keep trying on the Matrix, maybe somebody's slip up and talk about it." Someone in the rec room laughs. I look over, and one of the new mechs, a blue one, gestures as though he's telling a story. Ironhide listens, but he still remembers to check on me every once in a while. He doesn't see what I'm heading for. The door to the vent lies in the corner opposite to me, partly hidden behind a table and chairs.

47 says, "Strika sent a bunch of jets for backup before she got killed, and they took out some of the rebels in Egypt. One got a shot wing and they brought him here so Hook could work on it. While I prepped him, he told me one of the rebels was blasting a pyramid. He got a glimpse of metal before he came down."

"The Fallen tore down a bunch of stone buildings in Petra and there were some pieces of other Cybertronians that looked like him there. I think that must be where the Sun Harvester thing is, then," I say. "One down." I hesitate. "Ultra Magnus said something about taking the Decepticons back to Cybertron," I add. I glance over at Ironhide again. "I'm going to try and find Megatron. I need to ditch a guard in the meantime."

"Give them hell," 35 tells me, before we sign off.

I can't hear the story, but I can tell by the voices and the gestures that it's coming to some kind of climax. While everyone listens, I move to my final destination, and find that the little door opens easily.

71 got several punishment details dusting vents. I know how to maneuver in them. These are about the same size as the ones at the base. I close the vent door behind me and head for the nearest turn. Maneuvering around the bend, I hear, "Where in the Pit did that little slagger go?" and crashing furniture, fading as I head for the vents in the hallway.

By the time I get there, I'm covered in dust. They need a few drones to clean up in here, I think as I listen at what I hope is my destination. My joints creak. I crack it and peek out. Empty hallways greet my optics and I get out, putting the door back before brushing the dust off. I'm off, but in a good way; the office Ultra Magnus used to talk to me are nearby. As I slide into some nearby shadows, I hear steps and voices, both familiar. Talk about luck! They come around the corner, Megatron and Optimus Prime, talking as they go. I wait until they pass me, and then follow. I only hear snatches as they talk, most of it unintelligible.

"-overprotective-"

"You know he's capable of the job-"

"Yes, but you assume too much-"

"-necessary-"

Megatron's unhappy about something; I can see the storm clouds in his stance and hear it in his tone. Optimus' replies sound reassuring at times and unrelenting at others. They turn a corner, and I hurry as well as I can without making noise. Megatron normally strolls so I can easily keep up. I reach the turn, look around, and withdraw as they stand right by it. I vent to cool myself and strain my ears. "Who will you send first?" Optimus asks.

"The Constructicons, of course, with some of the stockpiled material, "Megatron says. He's been stockpiling material for centuries, using the old for current needs but always keeping it at a certain level.

"They can begin building for the humans, then. We have materials; there are not enough hands to work in the refining, and with some reworking they can do much that original drones did. Probably better."

I don't like the sound of that. Why send humans to Cybertron? Why not let them work here and send the product to Cybertron? Megatron seems to agree with me. "Their life support will be expensive to maintain, Prime. "

"Bringing the raw materials and building new factories will as well. We will take good care of the organics, Megatron. They will not go until the means to create an environment they can thrive in exists. I admit I would prefer the human-shell drones."

"Until the research is thoroughly tested, not one drone will leave Earth." His voice gets hard. "I will not leave Earth until Alpha can come with me. That is not negotiable."

"I agree." The Prime pauses. I peek and see a frown.

"Shockwave's research was preliminary at best. The drones objected to his methods." Megatron gives a hissing vent. "He deserved what they did to him, every bit of it. Ask Alpha why. Where is he?"

"It seems he managed to get past Ironhide. They are looking for him. " I slip from the corner.

"Megatron!" I call, and he turns to look for me. Optimus turns as well. I move to my lover's side. "How are we getting back?" I'm too large for his cockpit; he can fly with me for a time, but not very far.

Instead of answering, he kneels to give me a hard hug. I try to cling, but Optimus Prime's strong hands pull me back as Megatron stands. "I have to go before another rebellion breaks out," he says, his voice gruff. "Optimus insists," he gives the Prime an irritated glare, "that you act as the liaison between us, which means you stay here."

I can't believe this. Liaison? I have another word for it. "No," I say, shaking my head. "Lord Megatron, please." My voice breaks into static. He steps back as a hatch opens behind him.

"I'm not abandoning you. I'll be back soon." To Optimus, he says, "I hold you responsible for his safety."

"Above my own," Optimus says. I come out of my shock and try to pull away as Megatron steps out of the hatch, and transforms. As the hatch closes, I hear the sound of a jet taking off.

While the Autobots can see me, I keep myself numb. Later that night, when I am alone, I let the pain consume me as I lie in my cold berth alone. I know Megatron won't abandon me. I know he loves me, maybe more than I love him; I am certain he means to take me to Cybertron and keep me by him as he kept 71 close to him. But he knows, like I do, that if it is a choice between him and my people, my people come first. Every rebellion revolved around that basic fact. Optimus and his fellow spies came looking for me as a rebel leader, an ally to help them get what they needed. What made me an ally then, makes me a liability now.That's why I am on the Autobot ship. Not just as a liaison, not just as a hostage, but because Optimus and Megatron know who always leads human/drone rebellions.

Megatron took over this world to get resources for Cybertron. When he believed that his homeworld died beyond reviving, he began to see this world as his own and not the means to an end. With that, he began treating drones and humans as his. Inferior, poor substitutes for the empire he wanted, but still his own. Cybertron is alive and being rebuilt. Cybertron needs resources, including energon. They have the means to get massive amounts of energon and a captive labor source, right here. That's enough to bend the morals of any Cybertronian, the Prime included.

Megatron sees Earth as a resource to rebuild Cybertron again. As long as a means to harvest our Sun exists, we can't trust them. Either of them. As long as humanity has a sun and a planet to call our own, we can survive.

They will not take our sun.

I wipe my face of the damned washer fluid and start to plan.

 


	10. Megatron " Separation and hard decisions.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Megatron outs the spies in an interesting way, and sends them back to Optimus.

 

Optimus stares out of the porthole while I absorb his last revelation. Does he understand that he's forcing me to choose between the future of our race and my beloved? He must. "You are not dragging Alpha to Cybertron without going through me," I say flatly. "If you decide to ignore me, I promise you that no drone on this planet will ever trust you, and it will take several generations before the humans do. "

He moves, putting his hands on the desk and leaning over it to glare at me. "I am not Sentinel, who sees organics a resources and nothing else, "he reminds me sharply. "The humans might be organics and the drones organic hybrids, but they are sentient beings and will be treated as such. "

He's changed. There's a new confidence in him. "Then what do you intend to do? Drone can't survive space, and Sam Witwicky has been a host far too long to survive as much as an hour outside a drone shell or a rebirth tank. At best. " I remember the last time I saw the shriveled human form. It wasn't a pretty sight.

"I believe that should Sam die, the All-Spark will move elsewhere, and there is no way to know where," Optimus agrees. "One of us found Shockwave's research." I snarl at the mention of Shockwave. "I know, but as a scientist he had few equals, even if I don't agree with his methods. Starscream looked over the information and said it looked good, but he's not willing to leave Vos or his winglets at this time."

"Winglets?" I ask, and to my surprise I feel a pang of jealousy. "If there are only ten sparklings-" I stopped. Wait. Before he disappeared, Starscream visited the hatchlings. When the last of them died, he and all the mechs on guard duty that time left to search space for others of our kind. "How did he manage to get any of the hatchlings past me?"

"He ran into Cosmos in space and sparred with him for a time," Optimus admits. "Some time later he appeared and surrendered, begging for help for the hatchlings. Two were seekerlings. The Cube healed them. We're so desperate for sparklings that he was greeted as something of a hero." He sends out a projection, and I see Starscream with the two seekerlings at his pedes. I've never seen him so happy. The sight tears my spark. Healthy hatchlings, when I thought they all died? I can't even hate him for tricking all of us.

"I see," I say. Have I ever had so many conflicting feelings? How can I count on even my loyal Decepticons if they have the chance of sparklings to raise in a rebuilt Cybertron? "Drones don't live that long. Let him come to the end of his lifespan. " Is it too much to ask for one drone lifetime to live with Alpha in peace?

"I can't," he says simply. "Come to Cybertron and you will understand. Our homeland is alive again. "He leans forward. "You know Sentinel. You know his stance."

"Better than you. You do know he intended to betray you?"

He hisses, and I see that Sentinel's pragmatism found no sympathy in his optics. "He almost killed Ironhide to preserve his hold on the space bridge," Optimus says, with rage in his voice. "No one trusts him, but we are desperate, brother. We need to renew this pitiful population as well as rebuild our world. The means are here, both in Alpha and in the humans here. If we do not manage to work together, too many will listen to him. "

I consider my options. I can stall and start fighting as soon as I get back. But where would that get me? The Autobots took all my space bases as I fought. Optimus could lift this ship, sit back, and destroy most of this planet from orbit. He's got the upper hand, and he knows it. My only chance of controlling how the Autobots deal with Earth lies in the mech in front of me. He waits, not pressing me. "I do not leave Earth until Alpha can. We use every means to help him survive space and this transfer of the All-Spark. And if Alpha dies, I get the next healthy sparkling. " If I have to lose my beloved, I need someone else to care for.

"Agreed," he says immediately. Then he gets a com. "Before another battle breaks out, we need to reassure your people that you're still alive. " I wonder who his spy is. We manage to contact my council, show them I am alive and not a prisoner, and I record an announcement for the news services.

Walking back from that comparatively simple task, we meet Ultra Magnus. "I've talked to Alpha," he says without preamble. "We've come to some interesting conclusions."

Optimus looks at me. I shrug, though I feel a little wary of dealing with both of them with no weapons at my disposal. If Optimus wants to avoid a serious war, he needs me and we both know it. He leads us to a large conference room. Ultra Magnus comes in and sits. I'm surprised at his attitude; he's not as hostile as he was earlier, and I wonder why. He relays the discussion with Alpha and Ironhide. When he finishes, all of us are silent for a time, absorbing just how close we came to the total destruction the Fallen desired. "He played all of us," Ultra Magnus concludes. "We got lucky."

"Incredibly," I agree, shaken.

He hesitates. "That drone of yours," he starts, and stops to think. "He's got me questioning everything we came here for. He keeps asking why we came, suspicious little brat, and he's pushing about the Matrix. He asked outright if we intended to use it for its original purpose. I thought Ironhide would hit him."

I groan. "Not good," I inform them. "If he gets the faintest notion that any Cybertronian might use the Sun Destroyer, he'll turn the drones against us." I remember the Four rebellion. The idea of all the drones turning on us worries me deeply.

"Him?" Ultra Magnus asks with some surprise. He's remembering the scene in the medbay. He didn't see Alpha fight or challenge Optimus in the desert.

I snort. "Alpha's either led or triggered every serious rebellion on this planet, enough that drones and humans equate his name with them. If they think this planet is in danger, they'll follow him. "

"But-" he starts and stops when Optimus nods, agreeing with me.

I wave my hand impatiently. "Yes, he's my lover. But his people and his world come before me and always have," I say sourly. I look at Optimus. "If you think that campaign to improve the Four's situation was totally to keep 71 happy, think again. I knew 71 was Alpha the moment I saw him, and that without some kind of prevention, there was a rebellion waiting to happen. That applies to all of the original five drones. "

"I thought there's over a million drones?" Ultra Magnus asks, puzzled.

"The humans hosts of the first five drones still live, recycled several times. " I look to Optimus for confirmation, but he hesitates. "You do know something about the Original Five, right?"

"Only that they always rebel with Alpha." He looks embarrassed. "We assumed that the stories about Alpha and the Original Five were legends that rebels use to gain support, until I heard 95 talk about 71 becoming Alpha. 30 said absolutely nothing about being anything but a Commander."

I process that. "Did you bother to discover who the original five drones were?"

"Yes, "he says, "but we believed them legends, not fact. I know Alpha is Sam Witwicky and 30 is Delta, Will Lennox. Who are the others?"

"95 is Epsilon, human host Robert Epps. The others are 47, Mikaela Banes, and 35, Miles Lancaster. He was Sam Witwicky's best friend. All of them tried to rescue Alpha, so I made them into drones as well. They made wonderful servants, all of them, hard-working and loyal. Until they recalled. "

"Have the other recalled?" He does know how important a recall is for any drone.

"Alpha was the last for this recycle. I pulled them into the committee to work for me this time, not against me. You saw how effective they were. In fact, whatever you propose to do, I recommend that you include them all. " Then I brace myself. "You said you learned that I did not send the pirates after you. You said you learned I've changed, and this world has changed. You told Alpha you offered choices. What are they?"

"I will not allow this Sun to be harvested," he said flatly. "Not while there is a thriving native population at an elevated level of technology. "

Ultra Magnus agrees, if a little reluctantly. "But since Decepticons rule now, what about colony status until they can manage self-rule? Those drones could really make a difference in the rebuilding." We fill him in on the problem with the drones going to space. "But how will we get Alpha to the Cube?" he asks, dismayed.

"You don't until the science bots find a way," I tell him bluntly.

In the next moment he's on his feet. "You dare sit there and tell me-" I start to rise myself.

"Sit down!" Optimus's voice crackles with authority. We both sit, glaring at each other. "Magnus, this is already worked out. I intend to bring Perceptor and Wheeljack to work on the problem. In the meantime, Alpha will stay here as the drone liaison."

"What!" Now I am on my feet. "You expect me to agree to that?"

"It is not open to negotiation." Both he and Ultra Magnus are on their feet as well. "I am the Prime and I protect the All-Spark. He holds part of it. He will remain under my optic and protection until such time as I can safely take him to Cybertron."

"I can protect Alpha and he is mine! You saw that, you know what he is to me. How would you feel if this was 30?" I stop, hearing the pleading in my voice and hating it.

"He can't cause problems for us if he's here under our optics," Ultra Magnus points out.

At my growl, Optimus holds up a hand. "Megatron, with you he's endangered by both your own Decepticons and the overzealous and ignorant of my Autobots. Here, under my protection, he is much safer, and we can assure him that his Sun and his world are not in danger. I swear to you on the All-Spark that you can come and see him as often as you want. "He sits, and gestures Ultra Magnus down.

I glare at him, but I lower myself as well. I don't like this, not at all, but he's right. "Alpha won't like it."

"No, but he will accept it. He is the best choice for your liaison on this ship. Alpha knows how your world and government work as well as you do. Here, he will work for the best interest of his people. Correct?"

"And his presence here assures that I won't do anything against you, doesn't it?" I hiss.

He gives me a level look. He knows who has the upper hand here. "You can visit as often as you see the need," he stresses. "What is more, until we know that we can take him to Cybertron safely, I want him to know nothing of his situation. " That, I agree with. "Now, among your Decepticons, which are most likely to volunteer to return with us?"

We agree that the 'pirates' will go back to Cybertron as forced labor with more restrictions than I put on the rebelling Fours. I will call for volunteers and allow the Autobots to select the first rotation. They release my own restrictions, including my weapons, and Optimus walks me to a hatch. On the way I try again. "You're being far too overprotective of Alpha. 71 was not any kind of fighter. Alpha can take care of himself."

"He is still the best choice for liaison. You know he's capable of the job, and his presence here will make my people less difficult to deal with. "

"Yes, but you assume too much. He's going to think he's a hostage. "

"It's necessary. We will take good care of him, and he will have full access to all communications."

We talk a while longer, until we reach the hatch. Optimus is annoyed because Alpha got away from Ironhide. I wonder what took him so long, when he calls to me. He's covered with dust, and he slides past Optimus to get to me. I hug him and let Optimus pull him away, charging the Prime with his safety. His stricken face haunts me as I fly back to base.

I call the Council as soon as I land at base and get their accounts. Then I detail everything I discovered. "The Fallen played all of us," I finished, grim. "He intended to destroy the Sun, killing all of us, including the Autobots' army, then take the survivors and wake Unicron." From their reactions, either they knew as little as I did or their acting skills are excellent. Most of them look unhappy. I don't blame them. Yes, we escaped death and the total destruction of the ground beneath our feet. Yes, the Autobots are not attacking in force and taking us back to Cybertron as war prisoners. Yes, our homeworld lives, and the hope of rebuilding exists. But we intended to rule that world, direct that rebuilding. Now we find that the Autobots got there first, and the world we ruled yesterday is ours no longer. If we bother to look out of any window, we see that fact confirmed. "I want volunteers for first rotation. I need some of the Constructicons to go to assess the possibility of rotating humans to Cybertron for factory work."

"Why not bring the materials here?" Dead End asks.

"Because they have the drone factories and materials there, and think reworking them for the humans is easier than building factories here," I say. "Or that seems to be the plan. Part of the assignment is to assess the feasibility of that idea." I run my optics over them. "All of us will rotate to Cybertron on one time or another," I add. "If you chose to stay, you can, or you can rotate back here."

"When our people leave, who is going to take their places?" Scrapper asks. The management positions are all Cybertronian, and we expect most of the volunteers to come from middle management. "Autobots? Most of them have no idea what humans and drones are, much less how to deal with them!"

"Until the scientists look at Shockwave's research and get it working, the drones will take up the slack during the rotations. So look at the drones in your sections and make sure they can keep things running."

"If we promote drones, we need to make more to fill in the vacant positions and we don't have the shells to make that many more drones," Long Haul says.

"And I slowed down preparations due to not needing as many Fours," Scavenger complains.

"The Prime insists that until they find a way for humans to retain their memories after rebirth, the production of drones is to stop."

That starts a chorus of disbelief. Long Haul speaks for the rest when he says, "Idealistic fool. That's asking for trouble. Remember that Trent, Starscream's pet drone?"

We all wince. Trent never recalled because he was the one drone who never forgot who he was. He woke mature, but nothing made up for him being a damned obnoxious imp of Unicron. For some reason Starscream adored him. I tolerated his behavior for two reasons. One, he worked with extreme competence; in the entire time I ruled Earth only Alpha did a better job in administration. Second, he kept Starscream busy and distracted dealing with him.

"The traitors who worked with the Fallen are heading for Cybertron now, looking forward to hard labor in the rebuilding," I advise Long Arm. "If you want to join them, go right ahead and express that opinion to Optimus Prime anytime you wish." He subsides. "If you're right, the Autobots will find out quickly enough. "

"How do we know we won't end up like the Combaticons even if we cooperate?" Dead End asks. Leave it to the eternal pessimist to ask.

"Starscream is rebuilding Vos and has two winglets." That gets their attention, especially Long Haul. After all, if Starscream, who was my second in command, is in good standing and has a sparkling, why not them? I push back from the table and stand. "I'm sending out the call for volunteers tomorrow. Dismissed."

Back at my office, I see the datapads overflowing 71's old desk and sigh. I call for the committee drones. They appear in the conference room subdued and nervous. "Alpha stayed with the Prime as our liaison," I tell them. Since their faces remain blank, I know this is not news to them. "You've been in contact with Alpha."

"Yes, Lord Megatron." I see 95/Epsilon and 30/Delta tense.

"Tell me what happened after I left." They do. The accounts match the most of the information I already have, including the Prime's. "If you had not sent Prime and Bumblebee, I would be dead right now, and this star gone." I look at Delta. "And if half my Council didn't know Optimus Prime right under their optics, I can't blame you for not knowing him either. Now tell me what you've found out since then."

Relieved, they tell me about the mop-up and the power games during my absence. They save the choicest news for last. "We located two spies, Jazz and Prowl."

"Optimus brought his best. Those two are his former second and third in command," I tell them. "Put a watch on them. Keep a watch out for others. In the meantime, none of you go by your drone designations. From now on you are Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon, and you are my assistants, on the same level that Alpha is."

Watching them, I think it's a good thing they're sitting on chairs or they'd be sitting on the floor in shock. "If you say so, my lord," Gamma manages.

I give them the same information I gave the Council. "While Cybertronians rotate in and out, the drones have to carry on until such time as the research on bringing drones to space. I will not leave Earth until I can bring Alpha with me." They nod, understanding this attitude at least.

"Beta, you and Delta go through that mess on 71's desk and use your judgment on what needs my attention and what does not. " They head out. I give Epsilon and Gamma orders, and head for my office. There, I sit at my desk, look at the two drones that are not Alpha, and take a moment to worry before I bury myself in work.

From what I can tell in contacts between Alpha, Optimus, and I, Alpha's doing the same. Within the first few days, he puts together an information hologram to introduce new Autobots to Earth. He tweeked it in a few places at the suggestion of the other drones, but they all thought it covered everything. "He said he made it in self-defence," Beta tells me as I watch it. "It's based on what he has to tell the Autobots all the time."

When I return to Fort Maximus, Alpha and Optimus wait for me. Alpha slams into my arms about two seconds after I come inside. Optimus leads us to a private chamber and says, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Alpha holds on to me with all he's worth. "I was so afraid they wouldn't let me see you," he whispers, and his vocalizer crackles with static. I discover a few cubes of high-grade and bless my brother for his thoughtfulness. After the second cube, Alpha's tension eases, and I apply the other half of my relaxation routine. We both feel much better afterward. "Optimus promised I could see you as often as I wanted," I remind him, as we lay on the berth with him pressed against my side. "Didn't he tell you the same?"

"It wasn't Prime," he says, his vocalizer sounding a bit muffled because his face is against my chestplates. "It's the others."

"Are they threatening you?" I resolve to have words with Optimus when I can move again. Right now I don't think I have the energy. Alpha mumbles something, and I shift to hear him better.

"No," he says more clearly. "It's-they don't ever leave me alone, not since that time I got away from Ironhide. The first few days it was really bad, until I put that hologram together and got with Optimus to send it around. He spoke to Ironhide. After that, they got a promise from me that I wouldn't try to go outside without approval and escort, and let me have the run of the ship. At the same time, it doesn't seem to matter where I go, there's someone watching me. I have to go into my room and lock the door to get any kind of privacy, and I'm pretty sure they have some kind of monitor in there."

I ache to tell him why, but I know why Optimus wants him not to know. Why worry him more? He's stressed enough worrying about his world. "Do they give you a hard time about this?" I tap his Decepticon mark.

He considers how to answer. "Not really," he says. "It's more like, don't you think you're more like us, that kind of thing." He runs his hands over me, not so much for interfacing, but to assure himself I'm here. "They keep talking about how I'd like Cybertron, and about the rebuilding there." I stroke him, not for arousal but for comfort, and we slide into recharge.

Work swamps us as soon as we emerge from the room, and I see that Alpha does exactly what Optimus predicted he would. As soon as Optimus opens the meeting, my once-shy little Four stands up and says, "Has everyone in this meeting seen my introductory holovid? If you haven't, leave the room and see it so you won't ask a lot of questions I've already answered too many times." He looks around the table, taking in nods and murmurs of compliance. Many of the mech glance at Optimus, obviously waiting for him to deal with this upstart, but he sits back and divides his attention between Alpha and the room, allowing my liaison to take over the meeting for now.Alpha's strongly against taking humans to Cybertron. "We never went further than the Moon in space exploration due to heavy life support needs," he points out, and displays a fact sheet on human needs for oxygen, food, water, and other organic needs. "That's going to be expensive to maintain on Cybertron, isn't it?" He points out factories on Earth that we can expand or convert for specific needs.

I like that idea. "Alpha's got a good point. Why don't you bring one of your factory people to see if it's feasible?"

"As long as you send someone to explain what the humans-"

"People of Earth," Alpha counters, with a hard look at Optimus.

"-people of Earth need. We need more than fact sheets, Alpha." There's a chorus of agreement.

"Some of the volunteers are Constructicons, and all of them work with humans," I point out. "Let them figure out the cost of converting your factories for humans while your people tell us the cost of converting our factories here."

Delta comes in with Jetfire to report that the traitors are on their way to Cybertron and carrying the list of the volunteers with their profiles. He and Optimus don't speak to each other. Delta won't look at Optimus. Other than one sad look, Optimus pretends not to notice. At one break, I see why Alpha's uneasy. The two drones leave the room for a time. I see them go and think nothing of it, but within a few moments, I notice Ironhide looking around. "Anyone seen Alpha?" he asks.

"He's with Delta," I tell him, and explain about Delta taking Alpha's position. "They'll be back before we start." He starts toward the door anyway, but someone stops him to ask a question. When Alpha and Delta come back, Ultra Magnus is behind him.

As the meeting resumes, Alpha asks me, "Do you remember seeing those bodies in the wall?"

"Bodies," I echo, wondering if Alpha was working too hard.

"In Petra," he explains, "the buildings were torn up, and one of the torn down walls had a bunch of bodies in them that looked like the Fallen." He looks over to Optimus. "Did anybody else go in the buildings?" When they look at him blankly, he just waves a hand and says, "Just asking."

Two hours after the meeting, an expedition consisting of me, Alpha, Optimus, Jetfire and Ironhide heads for Petra. Delta arranges for transportation to Cairo, where he can get home more easily. Optimus stands by the opening and stills, as though he is listening. "When the Fallen built the Sun Harvester here, he knew there was a sentient, primitive species here," he says in a detached voice. I feel cold run down my back strut. "They stopped him, but he was too strong. So, to ensure that the Sun Harvester was never activated, they formed a tomb with their own bodies to protect the Matrix of Leadership."

"Why didn't they just destroy the Matrix?" Alpha asks, but he never gets an answer.

"I wish to send them back to Cybertron," Optimus declares. "Such sacrifice deserves acknowledgement. "

"Like we don't have enough to do," I grumble. I want out of here. The sight of those six bodies bothers me. I don't know why. Maybe because they look so much like the Fallen.

When I step out, leaving Optimus to commune with his ancient forbearers, Alpha goes with me. "You'll get Epsilon or Delta to deal with it," he predicts, and I decide he has a good idea there.

"Which reminds me. 'People of Earth?' Human-shell drones? Where did that come from?"

He vents. "You remember that holovid I made?" I nod. "They want to believe that the humans are more like domestic animals than sentient beings," he says. "They hear drone, and they think mindless machine." He kicks a nearby rock viciously. "It's taken me five rebellions to get the Deepticons to see humans as people, and now I'm dealing with another Prime who's almost as bad! "

"Sentinel?" I ask, feeling cold. I know how ruthless Sentinel can be when it comes to Cybertron. "I thought the Cube changed him."

"He's not a Prime but he used to be and people listen to him," Alpha informs me. "Especially when he's saying what they want to hear."

"Ah." Sentinel's a master of politics. He's bringing pressure. "In that case, I'll prioritize this." The story of the sacrifice the Primes made to spare a low-tech society of organics might remind the Autobots of their ideals, maybe enough to counteract Sentinel.

" Yeah. Optimus wants to take humans to Earth because he thinks interacting with the humans and drones will kill the rumors."

"You don't agree?"

"No. Any organic going to Cybertron is completely dependent on the mechs to survive. Better to introduce the Cybertronians here to the humans and drones on Earth."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" I ask.

"Use the spies," he tells me, and sends me a list. It's a lot longer than I expected. "Don't ask how I got that. They know Earth, know the drones and the humans. I've already run the list past the others, it's what Delta and I talked about just now. All of them fought for you in the Fallen's war, protecting the humans and Fours."

Optimus comes out. I offer to assist in the transfer, and he accepts. "I'll have Delta contact you," I tell him, and enjoy his wince. "Look, settle up with him one way or another. I don't care if you scream it out or 'face him through the berth, just get it over with. He knows how to get things done."

I leave soon after, giving Alpha a hard hug and a promise to return soon. When I get back to the office, I grab Beta and give him the list. He nods as he looks. "More than we thought," he says. "It's going to be hard to watch all of them. Epsilon's watchers are stretched already."

"No. We're going to reassign them to introduce new Cybertronians to Earth. Bring all of them into one of the hangers for training, and I'll take it from there. Arrange for it in two weeks." Then I contact Hook. He whines at the rush, but he produces what I want in plenty of time. In the meantime, I arrange with Epsilon to clear the area and set up a perimeter. I want this kept quiet, but I need room. A lot of room.Two weeks later, I look over the room full of drones, including P-7769 and G-5299. Hook is sitting to the side with the machine I ordered. The drones are mostly Ones and Twos. There's a medic, several Masters, several more Commanders, and a few other specialties here and there. "As you know, I've reassigned all of you for a new assignment. I'm sure some of you wonder why." I walk beside Hook as I speak. As everyone turns to look at us, he fiddles with the machine.

The room is filled with the sound of transforming, followed by chaos as mechs discover all the doors are locked. I grab Prowl, the closest to me, and hold my cannon against his helm. "Don't anyone move," I warn. "I've got Commander units surrounding this building." When all of them quiet, I retract the cannon and step away from Prowl. "There is a shuttle waiting for you outside. All of you are going to Fort Maximus. I expect all of you to work with Alpha to introduce new Cybertronians to Earth or go back to Cybertron. The shuttle will be reported as destroyed in a crash with the death of all on board. "I turn to Jazz and Prowl. "Tell Optimus that if he wants information, he can ask for it." They argue. They complain. They threaten. But the shuttle leaves with everyone on it.

I send Delta to Petra. "I could use Epsilon," he requests, and I tell them to work it out. When they come back, Epsilon teases Delta constantly about the long personal 'conference' with Optimus. On my next visit, Epsilon comes with me since he's coordinating the introductions with Prowl and Jazz. The first set of volunteers goes out. The next shuttle from Cybertron holds Sentinel.

Two days later Beta rushes into my office. "Sentinel's got Alpha," he says urgently, "and he's gotten the Matrix from Optimus."

 


	11. Alpha Confrontation, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bumblebee gets Alpha to talk about his past. A careless remark ignites Alpha's temper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long chapter and will be posted in two parts.

I commed the others to tell them what happened. I don't know how coherent I was. Then, when I calm down enough to think, I hear from them. All of them are as worried as I am about our world's future. "One of the first things he told us is that we go by our original names," Beta said, and fills me in on their promotions as his personal assistants. I hunt through the room looking for something to clean my face with, and find a polishing cloth.

"Like I'm the Autobot liaison," I say. "He's keeping you busy and under his optics. Optimus insisted that I stay here, says he knows I can do the job better because of the tension between the Autobots and the Decepticons. "Damp from my face, the cloth works to get at the dust in my joints too.

"If Megatron is staying until you can go with him, he's planning for the drones to go to Cybertron," Epsilon muses. I hear corridor noise around him.

"Giving them a labor force they consider both useful and easy to control," I agree grimly, "if they take the Sun and we have nowhere else to go. "

"There're bringing in two big scientists from the Autobots," Gamma says. I hear someone say something to her about a cube, and her reply is muffled before she adds, "They're picking up on Shockwave's experiments to figure out why drones can't handle space. It's supposed to be priority." There was tension in her voice, remembering Shockwave.

"Megatron's sending both Scrapper and Scavenger to Cybertron to look into reworking drone factories so humans can work there instead," Beta tells me. "Those two are going because he and Optimus agreed not to make any more drones unless they can remember being humans when they rebirth."

"Might not be any more drones then," Beta says, only half joking.

"Look," Epsilon says, dragging the conversation back to the subject, "what I'm saying is that until they find a way to get the drones to space, they're not going to destroy the Sun. They need workers worse than they need energon. That gives us time, right? What we really need is more information on the Sun Harvester."

We sign off on that thought. I throw the dirty cloth on the berth side table and lie down. I don't feel better, but a defined goal at least gives me a different focus. My dream that I could merge with 71 and live one lifetime working with Megatron instead of fighting him died when I realized how much danger my world faces. Time to get over it and do what I have to do. I lie down and the exhaustion from the emotional roller coaster sends me straight into recharge. When I wake, I discover just how pleasant the quarters are. Several blank datapads and a communication module sit on a desk that's close to my size. There's a private washrack with good solvent and the polishing cloths I found earlier. Added to that is a small door behind the desk, a sight that cheers me. I take a quick wash because only a wash gets the dust from the places you can't reach.

I get out just in time to hear the knock on the door. Ironhide tells me, "The Prime wants to see you." I nod, grab one of the blank datapads in case I need it, and follow him to Prime's office. Opimus greets me and brings out two cubes, gesturing for me to take one.

"You said you wanted to talk to Alpha and that you offered choices," I say briskly. "Care to elaborate?"

He hands me a datapad. "Read this first." I take one sip of the energon and settle back to read. Sometime later I put the datapad down. "Something wrong with the energon?" Optimus asks from behind me and I almost come out of the chair.

"No, no, it's fine." Now that he mentions it, my tank informs me of its emptiness, so I pick up the cube and down it. "The strangest part of this," I say as I disperse the cube, "is that the Fallen did you a favor, hiding this from Megatron. "

"I am well aware of how circumstances worked in my favor," Optimus tells me, amused, before he sobers. "But this truce is very fragile, Alpha. Very. I need your help in this tricky transition. As a Four drone, and as a former human who lived in a world free of Cybertronians, your perspective is priceless. "

"Not to mention my usefulness as a hostage," I say dryly. He starts to deny this and I wave his protests away. "I'm going to work for my people first, Megatron second, and you a very distant third. Megatron knows that. It's part of the reason he put all the original drones to work on the Four problem. "

He surprises me. "He told me the same. This is what Megatron and I discussed. "He goes over the choices such as human/drone self-rule or colony status. "I want Megatron on my Council," he admits. "There are too many who listen to Sentinel."

"The Fallen called him Megatron's tame ex-Prime," I say slowly. "He said that you and Sentinel rebuilt the space bridge. He made it sound like you and he worked together, but that's not really true, is it? Sentinel wants Cybertron rebuilt no matter what it takes." The more I think about it, the more I suspect that Megatron wanted to use Sentinel against the Fallen, pitting two powerful Primes against each other.

Optimus vents. "We want the same end result," he admits, "I want humans and drones to help rebuild Cybertron. The drones especially, but there are jobs the humans will do better than either Cybertronians or human-shell drones. "

"As allies or as slaves?" I ask bluntly. "Unless we get something out of it, you might as well enslave us." Megatron's focus changed to Cybertron and how to secure the best situation for him and his Decepticons the moment the Autobots ships appeared in the sky. I'm not sure he'll protect us anymore.

"That is the issue exactly. I want allies, which will serve us much better in the long run even if I ignore the moral issues. We can offer technology adapted for the humans and drones," he says promptly. "Human's aren't the only organic species we've dealt with. We have neutrals and Autobots who like working with organics and have done this kind of adaptation before. "

I consider that and nod. During the Decepticon takeover, humans lost a lot of technology geared to their comfort and well-being. Part of what I fought for in my rebellions included simple rights and comforts such as regular medical care. "That's useful. " Then he goes over what he expects me to do as liaison, which includes educating Autobots on humans and drones. Finally I ask, "What happened to the Matrix? I know you picked it up in the desert, but where is it now?"

"The Matrix can only be handled safely by a Prime," he says. "As I'm the only true Prime left, I keep it safe. " No matter how much I prod, he won't go into any more detail.

When I exit the office, I find Ironhide waiting for me again. "If you'll promise not to go outside without an escort," he bargains, "you have the run of the ship. "

Without some kind of transport, where the hell would I go? Fort Maximus sits in the middle of one of the biggest deserts on Earth. "I'm not big on washing sand out of my joints," I tell him, "so you have a deal."The main difference as far as I can see is that the outside lock on my door got disabled. I never find myself alone except in my quarters. Often bots want to ask questions. Other times, I get suspicious informal followers. At least no one challenges me the way Cliffjumper did once Optimus makes his protection clear.

The first 'informational" meeting provides an education in just how hard my job will be. I hold it in a large conference room, with a selection of mechs from each ship. Some of the questions I can answer easily, like whether or not humans have ever gone to space. Some I can't but I can get the answers easily, like the ones about food and other basic needs. Some of them manage to shock. "One of them," I tell Beta later while I do datawork in my quarters, "wanted to know if human males really needed to have sex once a week to stay healthy. "

"How-Oh, Primus, they've been tapping into the entertainment channels! There's a new comedy show out with a lot of sex humor." He starts laughing.

"And then there's the one who wants to know how often the women go into heat. He assumed they do since humans are mammals and most mammals do. "

That stopped his laughter. "Tell me you chewed him out."

"I didn't have to. Ironhide told him that was like comparing them to something called turborats. Optimus told all of them that entertainment channels are for entertainment and not research, and to research a question on the information nets for answers before asking me. He also says that I don't have to answer irrelevant questions unless I want to. That reduces the questions from about a million to ten thousand or so."

"Look, he may or may not have meant that as an insult, I wasn't there. What bothers me is they talk the way Shockwave did, and the way a lot of the Masters did before they changed the rebirth qualifications after that last rebellion. Making humans sound worthless and inferior, so it's okay to use them."

I agree with him. Somehow, the bots on Cybertron see humans as 'resources' but not as people. The more Autobots I talk to, the more I can see it's a kind of willful blindness. They know now that Optimus found the missing piece- I keep wondering if he sent it off with someone already, since he hasn't left Earth- and now they see a planet full of workers who can help them rebuild their world, along with the chance to get a lot of energon for that same rebuilding by harvesting the nearby star. From a distance, without knowing the world they're dealing with, that solution must look pretty convenient. On our next meeting, I confront Optimus with the problem. To my shock, he agrees. "Most of my people only know of Earth as where the pirates come from," he tells me. "They don't know humans or the human-shell drones."

"Then we need to do something about that," I say. "We're the people of Earth, humans and drones. We're sentient. We have rights. Every meeting, every datapad, every holovid that goes out emphasizes that." Within a week, I make a holovid answering the most asked questions regarding humans and drones because every Autobot I meet asks the same kinds of questions. Bless him, Optimus requires everyone to watch it. "The holovid is helping," he says at our next meeting, "but it's not enough. We need to bring humans to Cybertron, and introduce them to our population." He looks at the datapad I gave him earlier in the meeting. "The Constructicons can begin building suitable habitations for the first set of workers with the materials Megatron stored."

"No," I tell him, and he frowns. "Whatever work you need done, we can do here. Humans shouldn't leave Earth if they can't survive on Cybertron without assistance. It's too dangerous for them. What do you need to build?" It's the one topic we can't agree on. Optimus wants to revamp the factories on Cybertron and bring humans to work there. I don't want humans to leave Earth. We do agree that the crews on the ships need to visit the planet, and I agree to talk to Megatron about arranging escorts for them.

Once again I ask about the Matrix, and once again he politely pushes me off. "Before I forget. You're driving yourself too hard. Take some time to relax. Megatron won't thank me if he comes and finds you exhausted."

I leave the room to find I have a new guard, one I'm glad to see. "Hi, C-2330," I say when Bumblebee falls into step with me. Except when I get my quarters at night, I am never alone.

"Hi, 71," he responds, and we both laugh. I relax as soon as I see him, because both parts of me, human and shell, see Bumblebee as a protector. "I hear you've been pretty busy. "

"You could say that," I admit. I've been working harder here than 71 ever did, partly because I'm looking for a way to get Delta and Epsilon here to look over the Sun Harvester before the Autobots find it, and partly because I desperately miss Megatron and home. If I fall into the berth tired, I manage to get some sleep.

"Take the rest of the shift off and talk to me." He moves toward the rec room and I stop. I have a mountain of datawork to do, and I've gotten an idea of how to get Delta and Epsilon out here I want to run past the others. "I've got some spiced energon you'll like," he coaxes.

"High-grade? I don't want to get buzzed," I say doubtfully. 71 didn't get buzzed except with those he trusted most, and Bee knows he wasn't on that list.

"From what Ironhide says it would do you a world of good," he says. "But no, this is just energon with tasty additives." I open my mouth to remind him that drones can't always drink what the Cybertronians do, and he adds," Optimus shared some with 30 once, and 30 liked it." Well, if Delta drank it and he was okay, I should be. Bee wants to talk about something, and I wonder what. I can finish the paperwork tomorrow between meetings. I go to the rec room with him. It's got a pretty good crowd, but Bee finds us a table and pulls a few cubes from his subspace for us. We talk a little about the holovid I made. "I wish I had something like that when I started in drone society," he says, and talks about some of his mistakes. I laugh and sip the energon. It's good and it's not high grade, just as he promised. I notice several of the mechs drifting closer. When my cube is about half gone, Bee asks, "What happened to you at Mission City after I got hurt, Sam?"

I sober, look at my cube, and tell him about giving Optimus the Cube, about the oath, and Megatron's reaction. "It was like something took over me," I lament softly. "I thought Megatron would follow Optimus and go after the Cube. Instead, he grabbed me and took over Earth, getting revenge for the time humans held him in stasis."

When I stop talking, I realize how quiet the rec room is, every mech there listening to the story. "The energon's good, isn't it?" Hoist says into the silence, from a few tables away. Someone's lowered the lights, and the blue of the Autobot's optics glow in the dimness. There's some soft conversation in the back of the room.

"You told me you were the first drone. How did that happen?" Ironhide asks. I tell them and they listen to it the way humans listen to ghost stories, horrified and fascinated.

"Why don't you hate him?" Cliffjumper blurts out.

"Megatron?" I ask. By this time the cube sits empty in front of me, and I sit slumped in the chair. "Well, I woke up without any human memories and with a lot of loyalty programming. What that translated into was a metal equivalent to a human three year old child, desperate for Megatron's attention and approval. None of them expected that. From the beginning he looked after me, protected me from the rougher Decepticons, and never let me anywhere near a battle. Even after he made the other drones, I was always his favorite. "

"I think someone needs to find his berth," Ironhide says. I see him moving toward me, a darker bulk in the dimness. Bee gets up too, and together they haul me to my feet. That's when I see that not only is every chair filled, there are bots standing against the walls. As I walk out, I hear a buzz start behind me.

"I guess I'm more tired than I thought," I say as we reach my quarters, "but the energon was good, Bee. Thanks."

"Glad you liked it," he said, and closes the door behind me. I lean back against it, hearing the two of them walk down the hallway. The spice covered the taste of a mild sedative, one that encourages a mech to relax and get through a difficult memory. It's hard to lie under it, so it's often used for gentle reports, traumatized victims or witnesses, or mild interrogations.

Megatron's used it on several of my shells, but not for interrogations, because in drones there's a side effect. If the drone gets upset or excited, it magnifies that effect, too, acting more like a stimulant. Drones use it for two reasons. One is as an aphrodisiac. I can vouch that it works great for that, provided you don't have to go on shift later. When it wears off you aren't worth much for a time. I'm certain that's what 84 and 30 used it for. I've used it several times to get through a difficult mission during revolutions. It works fine, until it wears off, so you can only use it for short missions. They think I'm off to recharge. If I sleep late, they'll blame it on the drug.

 I open the vent and go in. That night I find several main offices, including those of the Prime. In Prime's, I find a datapad listing every spy he has on Earth. It's quite a list. I manage to get back to my quarters and rinse the dust off before I stagger to my berth and fall in. I notice that the bots talk about humans with a little more respect now. I pat myself on the back mentally for that change, except it come with a price. In the rec room now, where I have to go to get my energon most of the time, bots gather around my table and talk about Cybertron. They talk about how I'm more of like them than like the Decepticons. They hint that I'll like Cybertron when I can visit. It's an incredible relief when I get the word. "Megatron's coming in a few days. You ready to drop your little information bomb?" Delta asks.

"I sure am," I tell him. "Can you bring me a small hologram projector?"

"Why?"

"Ever since my storytime, the bots tend to hover. I don't know why. I think it might come in useful."

"Okay, shouldn't be a problem. I know that Megatron's going to send me back before he comes himself. I'll stop by Giza on my way and check out the pyramid."

Optimus confirms Megatron's visit, and promises to arrange for some privacy. Bless him, he takes me to the hatch himself, firmly shooing everyone else away. Primus, when I saw Megatron, I couldn't move fast enough. That huge bulk of warm metal feels so good. For the first time since he left, I don't feel alone. The room Optimus leads us to sits quite apart from my quarters, and we make use of the berth after a few cubes of the high grade there. I curl against his side afterward, exhausted and wonderfully de-stressed, and we talk for a while. He worries that the bots might threaten me, and I reassure him before we go into recharge.

The meeting holds a lot of bots I haven't met yet, new rotations from the other ships. They look at Optimus when I take over the meeting, but they've seen my holovid and when he doesn't react they stay polite. At the break, I manage to slip off with Delta and he gives me the holo projector, before Ultra Magnus happens to stroll by. "They really don't leave you alone, do they?" he comments. I shrug. I'm used to it be now. "Megatron thinks I'm going to Cairo, but I've got a good reason to head for Giza instead. I'll get that metal sample from the Harvester and we'll go from there."

"Good. I'll go drop the information bomb and see how they react." I mention the bodies I saw in Petra, sure that the Autobots will react. It works better than I hoped. When we arrive there, I stay in the tomb for as short a time as I can manage. It reminds me too much of 71. I manage to get Megatron the spy list and talk to him for a time regarding what I'm doing, feeling better that he's as wary of Sentinel's influence as I am. I even plant the idea of Delta and Epsilon working with Optimus with the exhumation.

Back at Fort Maximus, Optimus calls for a meeting regarding Giza. He tells a story of how the Primes protected the Matrix of Leadership for millennium from the Fallen, and why. He outlines his plans for the exhumation transport to Cybertron. Listening, I realize that with this sacrifice in front of them, there is no longer an easy way any former Autobot can justify taking our Sun. I relay this to the others, but we decide it's better to be sure. "There's too many neutrals and Decepticons in that mix to be sure of anything, and whoever pushing the 'humans are inferior' line isn't going to quit. I'll go forward with the metal testing," Gamma says. 

But the arrangements for the new rotations and sneaking around in the evenings with the holovid showing me in the berth begins to tire me out, and Optimus notices. Bumblebee intercepts me in the corridor again sometime later. "Hey, Mirage brought me more of the spiced energon. Want to share some tonight?" I need a break, I decide. The vents can do without me one night. There are some new faces in the rec room when Bumblebee and I arrive. A blue and white mech meets us and produces cubes after Bumblebee introduces him as Mirage. He's new to Earth, having rotated from Cybertron.

I sip the spiced energon, enjoying the mild bite. We talk for a time about some things on the introductory holovid. Mirage asks how I found the bodies. I tell him that the Fallen kidnapped me to bring Megatron to him, and the bodies were in the room he held me. Mirage wants more information, and I tense. "I don't want to talk about that," I say. "Bee was there for most of it."

"I can tell you about it later," Bee agrees, clearly not wanting to go into the complexities of drone recall. I sip, taking my time. Ultra Magnus pauses by our table on his way to the energon dispenser.

"Mirage, did Perceptor and Wheeljack come in with you?" Someone in the back gets a cube and passes it from person to person until it reaches our table, and he sits down. They're trying to hide how they're eyeing the level of the cube in front of me. I manage to hide my smile. I guess they want another history lesson.

"Next shuttle, they should be here soon," Mirage responds. "They wanted to talk to Starscream about something before they came. "

"Those two somebody important?" I ask, curious.

"They're coming to work on the drone project," the large bot says. My amusement fades. I don't like the way he says that, as though changing us is an experiment. He turns to me. "Wheeljack and Pecerptor are our best scientists. Wheeljack is a brilliant inventor, and Perceptor is our best researcher."

Project, I think. He's talking about drones like we're experimental subjects, a puzzle to set their scientists on, so they can get us to Cybertron to do their work for them. With the drug in me, I can't control my expression like I normally do. "What's wrong?" Bee asks.

"Shockwave was brilliant, too," I say, and my voice is harsh. A buzz goes up at my hostile reaction. That only riles me more, and I push myself up and stride over to a nearby console. As I start my search, I go on, "Shockwave showed up in a ship by himself, telling Megatron that Cybertron was dead and he was the only one left on the planet. We know now that he and the Fallen deliberately held a lot of information from us. At the same time, your pirates," I spat the word, "showed up with some information he could use to track down the Autobots. He went himself. He was desperate to find the Cube and renew your planet. "

I've certainly got their attention. Most of them wonder at my sudden change of attitude. Bee's alarmed, worried that I'm having a bad reaction to the drug. "What does this have to do with the drone project?" Ultra Magnus asks.

"I'm about to show you." I slam my fingers down on buttons savagely as I talk. The program I want is deep in memory files and encrypted. "Megatron left Shockwave in charge. Shockwave started making changes as soon as Megatron cleared atmosphere. He discarded every right humans and drones gained in three rebellions. Getting drones to space was his project, too." The console lights up with the program I want. I start it. As I'm forwarding it to where I need it, I go on, "Shockwave ignited the fourth rebellion with his policy changes. That triggered the recall in my shell and all of the original drones, the ones who go by names like mine. He got hold of Gamma, who was my lover at the time, and I went to get her out of his lab. "

Mirage says," How did you get past his defenses? Jazz and I are the best, and we almost never did!"

"Shockwave designed against his fellow Decepticons, not humans or drones," I snap, and he shut up. "After I got her out I went back. I took a holovid recorder with me and set it up to record in the room I took her from, set to activate to voices and sent the results for broadcast. Shockwave caught me on my way out. He took me back to that same room. This is what he did to me." I turned the console to where everyone could see it and started it. They watch, horror dawning on their faces. I keep my optics from the screen. It's bad enough to hear it and remember what caused the sounds. When that part ends, I stop the recording and turn the console. "When that went out, a mob came to Shockwave's research lab. Shockwave already took my host out and put him in a rebirth chamber. They thought he destroyed me. They overwhelmed his defenses and found him." I'm so glad I did not see that part. Gamma and the others witnessed it, and despite how much they hated Shockwave, that memory still makes them shudder. "Shockwave killed over a hundred, and they kept coming, using weapons they tore from his defenders and whatever they brought with them. This is was Shockwave when they finished with him. "I turn the console again. They stare at the pile of parts, with the lone ocular Shockwave used sitting obscenely on top. "Human-shell drones are not," I glared at Ultra Magnus, who is stunned by the storm he inadvertently unleashed, "a _project_."

Looking over them, I see Optimus standing in the back of the room. Jetfire's beside him. "I knew something about the fourth rebellion," the Prime says in his most calming voice. I'm not sure it that's for me or for his shocked mechs. "Megatron did tell me that Shockwave deserved what happened to him, and to ask you why. I didn't expect such a graphic response."

"What stopped the rebellion?" Bumblebee asks. His vocalizer spits some static as he asks.

Jetfire answers, "Megatron's return to Earth. He immediately reversed all the changes. He made a public broadcast and told everyone what he told Optimus, and he gave a blanket amnesty to every rebel. I was there. He branded Shockwave a traitor for overstepping his authority. More Cybertronians died that that rebellion than in any other in history. Not just Shockwave, but Soundwave, and somewhere around ten more troopers. And Primus, the humans and drones that died makes me sick even now. We hailed Megatron's appearance as a gift from Primus, because he gave us a reason to stop fighting."

When he stops talking, I add, "Shockwave killed more drones and humans in his experiments than the humans and drones that died storming the lab. That's why they tore him apart. They found body after abused body as they went through the lab building, and it just made them worse." I scan the room. "My master shows-showed- this video to any new Decepticon coming in, as a warning. " I turn off the console. "He didn't think the Autobots would need it. Too damn bad he was wrong.  _Project_. " I spit the word out.

"Wheeljack and Perceptor are nothing like Shockwave," Jetfire says, coming over to me. He puts a hand on my shoulder, and I look up at him. Jetfire's survived Earth and the Fallen for much longer than I've existed. He's always been Alpha's friend, through all the shells and rebellions. I trust his word over the Prime's. "Both Wheeljack and Perceptor hated Shockwave, Alpha, because he gave all scientists a bad name. Both of them respect sentients of every kind."

The others see that his words have an effect, and they're quick to back him up. "Yeah, Wheeljack blows himself up all the time but he never hurts anyone on purpose," Hound seconds. "And the biggest danger from Perceptor is your processor breaking from all the tech stuff he spouts."

"The answer's not going to come quick or easy this way, " I warn them, though I feel a little better about this mess. "Hook and Starscream both tried. Their favorite drones died from going to space, right in front of them. Hook especially tried to find out what happened, and you know what a perfectionist he is. They got nowhere. "

"If anyone can solve the problem of why drones can't go to space without using live experiments, these two can," Optimus assures me.

I feel the worse of my outrage fade. "Okay."

"Six Primes died for these vicious organics?" Mirage wonders in a low voice, but most of the room hears him.

My temper reignites. "Oh, for the love of Primus, don't you get it yet? They didn't do it for the humans, or not just for the humans." Everyone is staring at me again, Jetfire and Optimus included.

"Then why did they do it?" Ultra Magnus asks.

"First, the fact that Megatronus Prime planned to destroy a world with life on it, targeting sentient life deliberately, meant he turned! He was their brother, and he turned against all of them, against Primus himself. They had to stop him before he gained more power." I shut down the console completely.

"And?" Optimus prompts softly.

"Second, if they allowed the destruction of one organic sentient race, even a primitive one, they sanctioned destruction in general. They'd be sending out a message that killing anything in a Cybertronian's way was fine, because a Prime did it."

"Opening the way for the Fallen to wake Unicron," Optimus says. "As the Fallen hoped to do after he destroyed this world's sun and all of us with it." At that reminder, they look slightly ashamed, Mirage in particular.

"And before you talk about vicious, you came to a world full of humans and drones for revenge on those pirates," I snap. "A world that had nothing to do with your damn ruined planet in the first place. We were just the unlucky ones that the Cube landed on. " I see Bumblebee's shamed expression and add, "If you don't like that kind of truth, deal with it." With that I shove off Jetfire's hand and storm out the door

I hear heavy footsteps behind me. I hurry, not wanting to deal with being chewed out. Halfway to my quarters the drug wears out. I lean into the wall and vent harshly. The footsteps speed up, and Optimus kneels to look me over. "You need the medbay," he says, alarm in his voice.

"I need to rest," I tell him. "Please. A night's recharge is all I need." He doesn't like it, but he stands and puts out an arm for me to lean on.

"I want to thank you," he says, startling me. "We needed that lesson, Alpha. Needed it badly. "

"You're welcome," I say, and stagger through the door he opens for me to my berth, where I fall into recharge immediately.

 

 


	12. Alpha Confrontation, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the spies show up, another unexpected visitor appears. He is not welcome.

When I get up the next day, I'm back to normal, but Primus if every bot I pass doesn't ask if I'm okay. It almost drives me into the vents. But as I reach Optimus' office, I find all kinds of bots milling around. "We just got the news that a shuttle went down in flames, losing all the passengers," Bumblebee tells me when I find a crowd in the hall. "We're trying to find out who was in it. " The crowd lets me pass to see Optimus. He asks me to get more information if I can, and to use the console in my quarters.

I head for my quarters, but contact Epsilon on the way. He tells me what's going on, and adds when the shuttle will get here. "I'm going to make an official contact in a few seconds. " I'm certain my console is monitored. I contact Megatron's office, getting Beta. I solemnly make my official request, while on the com he rags me on sounding like an Autobot flunky and I threaten to bitch-slap him through the com somehow if he makes me laugh out loud. Megatron comes through. "Tell the Prime it's a cover-up and that if he needs to know something, just ask," he says. "He'll understand in about two hours."

I take that message to Optimus. He doesn't understand. I tell him that's all Megatron told me. He studies me. "In about two hours," he repeats. "Very well. Stay here until I find out what that means."

I accept the order without question, pulling out my datapad and starting on the ever-present datawork. Before the given time, Optimus gets a console call that a shuttle is arriving. When those Autobots come out, I recognize one as Jazz, though none of the others. As he passes, I say, "Good to see you, G-5299. Where's P-7769?"

I started laughing at the look on Jazz's face. Another black and white bot with doorwings comes over. "How did you know?" Jazz sputters.

"Come," Prowl says, taking my arm, "you can tell us as we go to report." Jazz takes the other arm. I just grin at them, annoying both further, and cheerfully explain how we outted them. Jazz swore elaborately. "You assured me no one would understand the names," Prowl says to Jazz, exasperated.

"Only human-shell drones from before Megatron's rule," I assure him. "And even then it wasn't until I recognized Optimus and Bee that I figured out someone must have come in early to get them in the system. I thought you died, Jazz."

"Optimus used the Cube to repair me." They've dropped my arms by this time.

"Look, this group knows the people of Earth and human-shell drones. We need all of you to escort the newbies around and help them see us as people and not resources. It's better than being held as hostages." My voice was a little bitter. Optimus sends me out of the room when he debriefs them. I slide around the corner and into the nearest vent before anyone sees me, and listen in. None of them are happy about the situation, Optimus least of all, but Prowl and some of the others point out that Megatron was perfectly within his rights to hold and interrogate them for quite some time before releasing them.

"Hauler and Counterpunch remain," he adds.

I listen in for a while longer for other pieces of information, and pick up a little more. I contact the others that night and pass on what I heard. "Jazz might be a problem with the sneaking around," I complain.

"Why do two of the better higher-up have to be the moles?" Beta mourns.

"I'm already ordered to work with Optimus on the exhumation," Delta tells us gloomily. "He said to work it out with Optimus somehow, that Alpha's got too much work."

"I'd bitch but that's where the Fallen had 71 and Megatron trapped," I admit. "Besides, those bodies give me the creeps. "

Delta's response to that exercises even his extensive vocabulary. But he comes, and goes out to the site with Optimus. The next day, on my way to Optimus' office with Bumblebee, I see Delta in the hall going the other way. He's squeaky clean and moving a little stiffly. "Are you all right?" I ask, concerned.

He glances at Bumblebee, who shakes with laughter. "84 always wears me out," he admits, and when I process this, I laugh so hard I have to lean against the wall. Delta only grins somewhat sheepishly.

"Glad you worked it out," I finally gasp out. "Bee, since I'm early, I'd like to walk Delta to his transport, we shouldn't be long." Bumblebee nods and goes on. "Got to talk quick, before someone else shows up," I say quietly. "Gamma's got her results. Talk to her when you get in. " Sure enough, Beachcomber shows up down the hall and falls in step behind us. "What route are you using to get back?" I ask in a more normal tone.

"A shuttle's giving me a lift to Giza and I'll head out from there on one of the processing transports. I'll coordinate with you and Optimus later on the teams and such." Beachcomber's hailed by someone and while his attention is elsewhere, he says in a low voice, "They sure keep a tight eye on you. "

"Can't let their hostage run around without supervision, can they?" I answer lightly. "They keep trying to turn me, too."

"That's not it. " Beachcomber is gone, replaced by Hound. "I can't put my finger on it, but that's not it." By this time we're at the shuttle bay. "I'll be in touch," he says, and ducks into the transport.

I watch him leave and head back. Bumblebee meets me in the hall again. "Optimus is in a good mood," he tells me, and we both snicker. Jazz appears as we're laughing and wants to know the joke.

That night, Jazz talks me into joining him in the rec room and asks about the first rebellion. I tell the story over a cube of mild high grade, the equivalent of a beer when I was human. "It was so hard," I tell a rapt audience, "turning on Megatron. I wondered if I was programmed to love him. I even accused him of it, once."

"What did he tell you?" Jazz asks.

"He said loyalty can be programmed but love can't. He's right about that. But programmed loyalty dies a bitter death when the one you're loyal to betrays or deceives you. He learned that too. Eventually." To my surprise, everyone applauds, even Prowl. They get more stories from me, but they start telling their own as well.

Jazz keeps me running with the arrangements, but the escort plan works beautifully. By the time the shuttle taking the first volunteers goes out, I feel good about the 'humans are people' campaign, and so does Optimus. "As more rotate in and out, and the factories are set up, I feel confident that we can manage to promote the self-rule option," he says, "and keep Earth as an independent ally."

Megatron comes again. "I hope to come more often," he says as we lie in his berth, sated.

"I want to go home," I admit wistfully. "I miss you, and the others. Besides, I could use the rest."

"Don't wear yourself out," he scolds, and holds me tighter. "But you're doing an excellent job. Optimus was right, you are the best choice for the job. "

Epsilon grabs me in the hall right before they leave and tells me, "We've got the Harvester set up. If nothing happens, the slow solution will finish it in about a month. We have a quick backup if we need it, but it'll be noticed."

"I hope we can manage the slow solution," I say. He agrees, and heads out.

But the next shuttle holds a surprise, and not a good one. Instead of Wheeljack and Perceptor, the shuttle holds a big dark red mech, who carries himself like he owns the world. "What's Sentinel doing here?" Bumblebee murmurs to Hound, standing beside him. I start to retreat to the door.

"The space bridge is working well and both Perceptor and Wheeljack have promising projects," he announces, "so I came, as I am both available and capable of working with the project." I make the door and stand just outside it, against the wall, as he looks around. "Where is this Alpha I hear so much about?" Behind him, someone unloads a box about my size. It looks familiar. I feel a little sick. Why does Sentinel have a rebirth chamber with him?

Bumblebee looks around, as do most of the other bots. "He was here a minute ago," several of them say, puzzled. Their voices fade as I find and get into the nearest vent. The washracks are close by and I head for them. I have the vent system pretty much worked out after weeks of late-night exploration. For a time I wondered if I would meet Jazz in one, as he's one of the few bots that can fit, but apparently he never equates their vents to the service corridors and vents on the bases.

I reach the washracks and was rinsing off dust when I get a summons from Optimus on the Autobot com frequency. Since I can't ignore that, I head out. I'm on the main corridors and surrounded by other bots, which makes me feel a little safer. Ultra Magnus falls into step with me. "I thought you were meeting the shuttle," he says.

"I was," I said. "I left when Wheeljack and Perceptor didn't show." I don't want to admit I ran like hell when Sentinel showed up instead.

He's not fooled for a moment. "I hate to say this, but that was wise. Don't trust Sentinel until Optimus and I know what he's doing here. I'm going to assign you a constant escort, and I want you to stay with them. I'm also moving your quarters. You'll have to deal with a roommate for a time."

"I don't mind at all," I inform him. "Do you know what he had with him?" But he doesn't answer the question, as we reach the Prime's office.

"A drone?" Sentinel says when I come in with Ultra Magnus. The only free chair is the one next to him. I go right past it to stand by the Prime's shoulder, and from that safety point, I study the ex-Prime who's already made it clear with two words that I'm not a person in his optics. Ultra Magnus sits. "I asked to meet with the Decepticon liaison."

"Alpha is the liaison for Megatron and Earth's current government," Optmus states. "You wished to meet him. He is here. What business do you wish to discuss with him?" I get the feeling that Optimus just set Sentinel up and cut him off at the knees, but I can't figure out why.

"I wished to discuss the means to move drones to space. According to Starscream drones aren't allowed to learn the process."

"That's true," I confirm. "That's why whoever works on the project has to go to Megatron's main base and work with Long Haul and Hook. "

"You will leave with the next shuttle," Optimus states firmly, "Considering the prior relationship between you and Megatron, I will not allow you to work with the Decepticons, even if he would agree to allow you into his base. How likely is that, Alpha?"

I know that Unicron will come again before most of the Decepticons will work with Sentinel. When I was still in my first shell, the Decepticons used to tell stories about Cybertron before the war. The Council Sentinel led figured largely as the bad guys. "I must speak with Lord Megatron before I can venture a response to that question, my lord Prime," I say formally and blandly.

They all make agreement sounds. "However, I did bring a solution for the storage and transport of the remaining piece of the All-Spark," he goes on. "There is no reason I cannot take it back with me."

"In fact, that solution was discussed and discarded," Optimus says firmly. "We will not discuss this matter further. " Sentinel does not like that dismissal, and I feel the tension in the room skyrocket.

"You could never make the hard decisions," Sentinel begins, but Optimus shuts him off.

"Ultra Magnus, escort Sentinel to his quarters." Optimus stands, and pushes me behind him. For a moment I think the ex-Prime might attack, but he stands and leaves with Ultra Magnus instead. I let out a deep vent.

"Can I just stay in your shadow until he leaves?" I ask. "Or go home for a few days?"

He's amused, but shakes his head. "Ironhide is on his way. He, Jazz, and Prowl will be your escorts. Go nowhere without them. "He sits back down. "I will contact Megatron directly on his presence here." Like me, he knows the scientists won't work with Sentinel.

Ironhide comes in and take me to my new quarters. It reminds me of my quarters with 35, though it's more comfortable and the beds are bigger. Prowl's at one of the desks, doing datawork. He greets me calmly.I go to the desk he isn't at and start on my own datawork. When I get through most of it, I contact Beta. He brings in the others immediately. "Why would Sentinel bring a rebirth chamber with him?" Epsilon asks.

"I can't believe that whatever the fragment's in, it's still here," Gamma says. "They must want the All-Spark completed!"

"I don't like this," Delta says, worried. "Alpha, you stick with those guards and watch your back. Optimus never ever admits you're a hostage, but we all know you are, and I can't help but wonder if Sentinel thinks to take you to Cybertron to force the labor issue."

A drone can't survive space, but humans can, given the right life support. If my human core is moved quickly enough into the rebirth chamber and handled carefully, Sam could survive to go back into a shell, preferably a shell that could handle space and Cybertron. That shakes me. If I had my way, I would never rebirth again. "If I think that's happening, if any of you believe that it might be happening, go with the fast solution," I tell them. "I'd rather deal with the fallout than take any kind of chance." We sign off on that unhappy note.

But the first day goes by pretty much normal, if a bit boring. For once, I get caught up on my paperwork. I go to the rec room for a cube with Prowl and Jazz, and afterward they teach me a Cybertronian game a lot like the Japanese game of go, only a lot harder. If they planned to distract me, it works. In the morning, I go about my usual business, when Jazz coms me. "Sentinel's got a request," he says, sounding annoyed. "He wants to see Petra. He says he want you to come with us."

"Only to Petra?" I ask. There are a lot of Autobots and drones at Petra, working on the exhumation. Delta and Epsilon work there frequently. Delta visits to check on me. He says. I'm sure why he leaves moving carefully and with a satisfied air around him.

"Prime's limiting him to the area because Megatron said he's shoot him down if he came anywhere near his people," Jazz says, and to my surprise I hear approval in that statement. "Jetfire, Epsilon, and Delta are all there today. I checked. "

"All right," I agree.

Arriving at the shuttlebay, Ironhide waits until Jazz appears before he trudges out. We file in, and I find myself sitting close to Sentinel. He has a lot of questions about Petra. "So they considered us gods, and build a temple around the Prime's bodies," he muses.

"No," I correct him, and he gives me a sharp look. "They saw the Fallen as a demon, and the bodies looked like him. So they covered the bodies to erase them from human memory. The temple was an appeal to their gods for protection." Just as they built a pyramid over the Sun Harvester to hide it and buried their Pharaoh gods underneath it for the same reason, but I don't tell Sentinel that. To my knowledge, no one besides my fellow originals knows where the Sun Harvester is. I want out of this conversation and check my chronometer. "Shouldn't we be at Petra by now?" I ask. Jazz goes alert, but too late. The two mechs sitting behind him and Sentinel all move at the same time. Seconds later, the two mechs carry a Jazz in stasis off while the ex-Prime holds on to me with all the ease of a man handling a struggling puppy. I try to contact the Autobots, but the com is blocked.

"Recognize this?" He holds up a beautifully curved and filigreed object, and I go still. He smiles at the look on my face. "Never mind how I got it. I also know where the Sun Harvester is. The pirates were quite informative when I told them what I intended to do."

"What are you going to do?" I ask. My gut is clenching. Why is Sentinel kidnapping me like this?

"I want to confirm my information on the Sun Harvester first," he explains. "Then I'll see the last piece of the All-Spark where it belongs." He hisses. "Optimus is a fool. He talks about waiting, about giving this world self- rule and ally status, about taking our time and rebuilding slowly."

The mechs come back . "We'll be at the Harvester soon, Lord Prime."

"You have no idea what you're doing!" I tell him. "We're doing it this way because it's better, safer. Megatron and Optimus want the best for Cybertron. Going too fast is only going to make everything harder in the long run."

He looms over me and I shut up. "Cybertron can't wait. We need the Cube at full power. We need labor to rebuild. We need energon to power the rebuilding. All of that is right here, and I intend to take it and return Cybertron to its full glory!" He turns to the two mechs, who take hold of me. "Take him back with Jazz. Make sure he's secure but handle him carefully. That's our future."

In the back of the ship, sitting by a still Jazz, I pray to Primus that the difference in drone and Cybertronian coms means my com frequency with the other drones still works. To my infinite relief, I reach Beta and the others. "We need the quick solution," I tell them, "and we need it now."

"Did you find out what's holding the last part of the All-Spark?" Epsilon asks.

"Yeah," I say, and they know I'm upset.

According to Jazz and Prowl, Optimus thought the last part of the All-Spark was lost, but he picked it up when he found the Matrix. They were prioritizing enabling drones to go to space. Optimus insists that I stay with him, and Megatron agrees to it. I think of the way Autobots hover around me and listen to me talk about my life. Add that to my memory of handing the Cube to Optimus, and feeling like something is controlling me. All the clues in front of us, and we never saw it. "It's in Sam," I tell them, and explain. There's a stunned silence.

"Jetfire and I will get to the pyramid first," Epsilon assures me grimly, and drops out.

"I'll tell the Autobots what's going on," Delta says, and drops out.

"I'll tell Megatron," Beta says, and leaves.

"I thought the Matrix could only be handled by a Prime," Gamma points out. "Everybody says Sentinel isn't a Prime so how come he's not dead?"

That pushes past the panic and makes me think. I review the Matrix the Fallen showed me, and this one. "Sentinel won't tell me how he got it," I say slowly, "but I always got the impression that Optimus kept it on him." Hope starts to rise. "Tell me how to bring a mech out of stasis."

She walks me through it. I vent in relief as his optics online. "Megatron's calling me," she says, and is gone.

I contact Epsilon and run my idea past him. "Could work," he agrees. "Once we start the process, there's no stopping it." He pauses. "What about you?" he asks.

"They won't risk me," I say, feeling sick as I think of the reason. "But even if they do, it doesn't matter. We've got to stop him." We sign off and I turn my attention to Jazz. "You all there?"

"Yeah. What's Sentinel doing?" I update him. "Primus, is he insane?"

"I think so," I tell him seriously. "Or just that desperate to get his power back. Can you com out?"

"No. I tried. " He pauses. "Did he say why he wanted you?"

"Why didn't they tell me?" I blurt out, and I can't hide the hurt.

"Aw, don't be like that. They just wanted to spare you, until they had a way for you to make it through the transfer. "I feel better. "Look, if we get any kind of a chance, you take off and worry about me later. "

"Was Optimus all right when you left?" I ask abruptly. He nods, his mind elsewhere. I contact Delta. "Hey. Have you heard from Optimus?" He hasn't. "Has anyone said anything about the loss of the Matrix?"

"They go back and forth about how Sentinel can handle a Matrix when he's not a Prime, and what's going to happen to you," he says. "But I'll tell you this, they're got a squad gearing up and a shuttle ready. I'm going."

I pass on the idea I gave Epsilon. "So don't get too close, and try to keep them away if you can," I warn him. Just then we feel the change, as the shuttle begins to land.

Epsilon contacts both of us. "I see your shuttle, Alpha. Showtime."

We heard footsteps and Jazz takes his optics off-line. Sentinel appears and takes me out, leaving Jazz behind. "I want you to witness this," he says. There's triumph in his voice. He reaches in and pulls me out by the arm, the way a human mother handles a cranky toddler. The mechs come in behind Sentinel and haul Jazz out. When the ramp goes down, the heat and sunlight hits like a blow. I can see that the top of the nearest pyramid is ripped off.

Sentinel picks me up and starts to climb. When we reach the top, he holds me so that I can see the machine inside the hole. It's not as big as I expected. "It's beautiful," he muses. That's when Megatron shows up in one direction, and the Autobot shuttle in the other.

"No!" he screams, seeing all his plans of glory going to the Pit. "No!" He slams the Matrix into the machine. "I will not be thwarted! Cybertron needs this!"

I hear a humming noise begin, and twist frantically. I know what that means. I use the only weapon I have, the shock. He doesn't expect it. With his other hand in the Pyramid, he loses his grip on me, and I fall, tumbling down the rocky surface of the pyramid. Something grabs me and the world whites out. In the next moment, I'm by the shuttle. Jetfire grabs Jazz and the world whites out again. This time we're on the horizon. Megatron is firing on Sentinel, who is firing back. Epsilon comes running up and herds us all toward the shuttle. "Get this thing out of here!" he shouts as Autobots pile out.

"He's right, it's too late for anything else," Jetfire seconds. He sounds exhausted. "I can't warp again." He sends everyone a databurst that has them scrambling back abroad.

"MEGATRON!" I scream at him, both out loud and through the com. "I'm here, I'm out here, I'm safe, get away, get away!" and I databurst him the truth.He disengages and heads our way. I refuse to board the shuttle. Megatron lands, grabs me, and takes off again, getting out of the shuttle's way. We're all in the air and heading away when we hear the first explosions.

Sentinel is still standing on top of the pyramid as it collapses in an explosion so intense that Megatron fights to stay in control when the blast reaches us.

 


	13. Megatron and Alpha: Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The issue of the All- Spark and the Matix is resolved.

I contacted Optimus on the way to the pyramid. He admitted that the Matrix Sentinel held was a decoy and could not activate the Harvester. When I got there, I could hear something inside the pyramid and I could see Sentinel on it. I fired on him to give the others time to get away, until Alpha databurst me about the explosion. Whatever blew, it was powerful. I got to Fort Maximus much more quickly than normal.

On the way, I busy myself contacting Giza and giving orders regarding the area where the pyramid and the Sun Harvester used to be. Considering the force of the explosion, I doubt anything survived, but I want the area monitored. Alpha spends the trip in silence. Normally I land outside and transform before pinging to come in. On contacting Optimus on the situation, we agree that I will come in through the shuttle bay. I arrive and maneuver out of the shuttle's way before letting Alpha down to transform. Hoist is there with a mobile stretcher; he gets both Jetfire and Alpha on it and moves. I start to follow, but Optimus pulls me to his office. "What happened?" he asks urgently. "I believed that only the Matrix could activate the Harvester, but Grapple tells me that it exploded. Did the decoy set it off? Do we need to evacuate the planet?"

"We do not need to evacuate the planet. The decoy caused the explosion. " I vent. "I thought the same as you did and was trying to shoot the decoy off the Harvester when Alpha databurst me that the Harvester was rigged to explode if anyone tried to activate it. That's all I know. I've got people monitoring the site." He hands me a cube and I drain it.

"In the meantime, we need to discuss matters with some drones, I believe." He checked with the medbay to see if Alpha was ready to be released.

Alpha was not, it seemed. Hoist's report sent both of us to the medbay. When we came in, Alpha lay curled on a berth near the wall, with his back to the room. A cube of energon sat nearby, ignored. Hoist bent over him, talking softly, and lay a hand on his shoulder, only to have it silently shrugged off. I groan as I realize the problem. "What's wrong?" Optimus asks me.

"I've seen him like this before," I tell him. When Alpha stayed quiet on the trip, I knew he was upset. I didn't know how upset. What did Sentinel say to him?

"So?" Optimus asks.

I look at him. "Let me put it this way. Remember when I told you that Alpha leads every rebellion and the drones and humans follow him?" Optimus nods. "Well, let's just say they already had trust issues, and if you don't convince Alpha of your sincerity, you're going to find out just how hard he is to stop."

Behind us, Jetfire recharged deeply, worn out from too much warping in too short a time. I consider waking him, as he's one of the few Alpha trusts, when Hoist offers the energon to Alpha again. "Your levels are critically low," the medic coaxes.

"What else is in it?" he asks. There's static in his voice. Primus, can this get worse?

"What the hell is this attitude?" I look over and see Gamma at the door. She turns to Beta and Delta behind her and adds, "Delta, get the prima donna a cube from the rec room. " She moves swiftly across the med bay, Beta behind her. Hoist looks over at us. Optimus waves him over.

"That's Gamma, a drone medic and one of Alpha's closest friends," I inform him. "Get her what she needs and get out of her way. " He nods and moves around the medbay gathering supplies. To Optimus I say, "Since we've got three here and one on the way, see if someone can round up Epsilon." He murmurs agreement.

Hoist takes the supplies to Beta. Beta accepts them and assists Gamma. While she and Alpha snip at each other, she jacks in his medical port, does her exam, and deals briskly with the minor problems. She hands the energon to Hoist with the recommendation he drink it himself. Hoist downs the cub without hesitation, as the drones watch. Some of their tension eases. "She reminds me of Ratchet," Optimus says, admiration in his voice. "I miss his bluntness sometimes."

"Where is Ratchet?"

"He's heading the Council while I'm gone. " That makes sense. Before the war, the cranky medic was a Senator that the Prime trusted. Delta appears carrying two cubes, and Epsilon follows him with two. They each take one, leaving the extra by Alpha. He pushes up, accepting help from Beta, and drinks the first one down as the others sip. I look at Optimus and we casually move to cover the door as Hoist drifts over to the other exit. At some kind of signal from Optimus, he leaves and we hear a lock engage behind him. The two military drones drift just as casually so that Alpha is in the middle of a square. For a moment, we assess each other in silence.

In all the time I've known these drones, I never met them together like this, with their recall acknowledged. I used them on the committee and witnessed the effectiveness of the four working together, but while 71 worked well with them, he did not lead them. Alpha sits on the berth, exhausted by the crisis he endured. Still in his Four shell, he barely reaches their height sitting on the berth. The Commanders, the Master, and the Medic all need heavier armor, stronger builds, unlike the smaller and lighter frame of the Service Four. All of them radiate the strength and confidence of the successful in their calling, strengths that brought about the changes that gave the Fours back their place in our society. Without Alpha, these drone stood as competent, effective leaders. With Alpha-they form a unit stronger than any I've seen in the war, including Optimus and his highest ranking officers. Seeing them, I realize that I am still alive because Alpha can't kill me any more than I can kill him.

I am the leader of the Decepticons. I am the warrior that the Autobots, including Optimus, fear. I lead the strongest of the strong.

They scare me.

Alpha breaks the silence. "Where's the Matrix?" he asks.

"I have it," Optimus says. "When did you realize Sentinel's was fake?"

"Sentinel wasn't a Prime, but he was handling it. When I compared the one he held to my memory of the one the Fallen showed me, there were some small differences. When I asked Jazz if you were fine when we left, he said you were. "He sounds so very tired. Gamma looks at him, and he sips at the energon in his hand.

"I see. Tell me what happened." Alpha does. "So you do understand that he acted against Megatron and I? " He nods.

"Like you," I point out. "Just what did you do to the Sun Harvester?"

"We set it to explode if someone tried to activate it," he explains. "No one's close, so the only person to die would be the ones trying to activate it."

Optimus shakes his head. "I told you I would never allow this Sun to be harvested." He sounds disappointed instead of sad. "I thought you understood."

"I told you the same," I second. I'm not exactly happy, but I already knew I wasn't high on Alpha's trust list.

"We heard you," Alpha countered. "Sentinel didn't get the memo. He intended to enslave my people and destroy my world for his convenience, and to get his power back. And if he managed to kill you both, the next Prime would look to him as a mentor."

"Admit it, Optimus, they took care of the problem better than we did. Now tell me how you did it. " They look at each other first, but one at a time, they describe their role in the setup. It was ingenious, from analyzing the metal to the setup of the trigger. "Sneaky little glitches," I say in admiration.

"They learned from the best," the Prime snarks.

"Sure we did," Alpha says, dead serious. "And being human at base, we adapt what we learn." That silences both of us as the implications sink in. "This is our world," he goes on, and once again he sounds very tired. "We know neither of you meant to use the Harvester. But that thing threatened my people just by existing. Sentinel proved that. We protected our world and the lives of millions of people. "

"Very well," Optimus says. "In my official report, Sentinel kidnappd Alpha and took what he thought was the Matrix. When he tried to use it, it exploded. I have no wish to make him a fallen hero. I'm having enough trouble with the ones wanting sparklings now."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier about the All-Spark?" Alpha's voice this time holds bitterness.

The question hangs in the air for a time. "I wanted to spare you," Optimus admits finally. "Once we found a possible way for you to survive the transfer, I would have told you. " When Alpha starts to speak again, the Prime lifts his hand. "We will discuss this matter tomorrow, when you have rested. Nothing is going to change overnight."

"He's right," Gamma seconds. "You can barely sit up, and all of us are tired."

"Then we will meet tomorrow, and settle this matter. " Alpha accepts the order and starts to slide to his feet. Gamma catches him before he falls on his face. I carry Alpha to my suite. He falls into recharge on the way. When I get him to our berth, I settle over him protectively. In his sleep, he curls against me. In the morning, I leave Alpha still in recharge and fly over the area where the pyramid used to be. There is a mound of melted slag there, with no sign of the pyramid, the shuttle, Sentinel, or the mechs that helped him. As I fly, I manage the unavoidable business in my inbox and brace myself for an unpleasant meeting.

Once again, Optimus offers energon. I take a cube, as he does. The drones ignore the offering. They decline to sit. They stand, Alpha in front with Gamma and Beta flanking him, and the commanders behind them.  
Alpha stands with an attitude I've seen before. He's come to some kind of decision. The others are somber. That means it's not one I'm going to like. Optimus looks at me, seeing warning signs and not sure how to interpret them. "I would like to know the situation from the beginning, "Alpha states. "I am tired of being lied to, either directly or by omission of facts. If I stand in a position where my host has to be sacrificed on the altar of your Cube in order to continue your race, I have the right to know what is going on."

The silence stretches. Then the Prime outlines the situation as he outlined it to me. They listen without interrupting. "I meant well," Optimus concludes. 'Again, we will do our best to see that you survive."

Alpha and the others commune for a moment. "All right. That information matches the intelligence we already have. I accept that you meant well., as long as in the future I get the information the way you would give it to one of your own. "

"We're not children, Optimus Prime," Delta adds. "If we are mature enough to share your berths and sentient enough to help you rebuild, we have the right to information that affects our lives. You lived as a drone for more than a generation. You know that. "

Optimus doesn't like hearing that, which is why Delta is saying it instead of Alpha. But after a time, he nods his head and says, "All right."

They share some kind of consensus. "My host won't survive another recycle," Alpha says flatly. "I accessed my last shell's memories last night. His last coherent memory was Barricade handing him over to the Fallen, who warped the dying shell to a rebirth chamber. I was able to research the records this morning. The technician who handled the transfer recorded extreme difficulty with stabilizing the host. "

"I sent them to Scavenger's second in command," Gamma adds. "He said it was a miracle from Primus that the transfer worked even under perfect conditions. " My spark hurts. She's confirming what I already suspected.

"Is there any chance at all this can wait until Alpha's shell reaches the end of its normal lifespan?" Beta asks, his optics going from one of us to the other.

"No," I say heavily. "Alpha, I don't know what Sentinel told you, but even our own Decepticons want sparklings. Sentinel was power hungry, but he was no fool. "

Alpha nods. He's already come to that conclusion. "I figured he wouldn't do all this if he didn't think he had support. " He looks at the others. "I understand that this has to happen. Even if I had a choice, I'd still do this. I can't let a race die out if I can save it." He looks at me. "I just wanted one life with Megatron where we could work together."

"We still have to wait until the research is finished," I tell him, full of mixed feelings. "You'll have to deal with protective custody, but we're looking at a generation or so."

"Not if someone else thinks a rebirth chamber is the answer," Gamma says. "I can tell you now it's not, because they tell medics not to bother trying a recycle if it's going to take more than an hour to get to a rebirth center. And even with a first recycle they fail six times out of ten."

"If you're just looking for a way to get Sam to the Cube, we think we have a way. " He turns and faces Optimus squarely. "But first I want to see the Matrix. I want to touch it and know that it's real. I want a promise that Megatron gets the next healthy sparkling when I die. And I want you as Prime to promise me, swearing by the All-Spark, that you will work to get Earth to human or drone self-rule."

Optimus pauses. Then he nods. "I swear on the All-Spark that when the Cube accepts the last part of the All-Spark from your host Sam, and he dies, I will provide Megatron with the next healthy sparkling and work for human/drone self-rule for Earth."

"No!" I shout, and surge up. "No. You agreed to wait until the research is done. There's no reason not to let that go forward. Alpha, there's no reason not to wait, we don't have to do this now." Even as I talk, I shove the drones aside and seize Alpha, plotting the fastest way out. If Alpha does this, he's going to be on the next shuttle out that Optimus can manage. The Prime doesn't have a choice.

Over the com, Alpha tells me, "I love you. I always will." Then he shocks me. Before I can throw off the effects, Optimus produces the Matrix and holds it out in his open palm. Alpha, leaning on the table for support, reaches out and places his hand on it. Both of them freeze. The Matrix begins to glow.

TRTR

I make my pitch to Optimus, knowing that he's going to accept. He doesn't really have a choice. I don't think the Matrix will hurt me as long as Optimus is holding it, but I'm certain that I'll be able to tell if it's real.

I know Megatron won't agree. I know he wants to hold off, to wait. But as soon as I understood what Sentinel meant, that I hold that last piece they need, I know there will be more attempts.

At core, I'm human. Humans live short lives, but we live on through our children. I understand why the Cybertronians are so desperate. This war is over. They want to see their race go on. They are desperate, and I'm the key.

I'm going to die. But if I go voluntarily, telling them the secret to getting Sam to the Cube, I can set conditions and get them. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the conditions include a lot of matters Optimus wants to do anyway. If he swears, then as the Prime, he and Cybertron must follow through.

It'll take time for them to make the changes in a shuttle anyway. I'll have time to say good-bye to Megatron. So when Optimus agrees and Megatron grabs me, panicking, I shock him. I know I'm going to regret that later, but if I don't seize the moment now, I'll never get it back.

When I touch the Matrix, the room goes away.

I'm standing in a world of mist. I look around, and beside me I see a young human male, black-haired and dressed in dark clothes. He gazes around him, then looks down and touches himself. When he turned to look at me, I recognize him. "Where am I?" he asks, sounding frightened. "I'm human again, real again."

"We brought you here to apologize," a deep voice says, and we both look up. The ancient Primes look down at us. Behind them I see Optimus, who bends down to pick the human up. "Sam Witwicky, I tender our most sincere apologies. When the All-Spark chose to leave a piece of itself within you, it was seeking to remain anchored to this reality. "

"Thanks so much," he says, the sarcasm heavy in his voice.

"We are sorry," the speaker repeats. "But only that act saved your world from being engulfed in this war, while giving Cybertron time to heal. We knew our fallen brother's obsession would keep him here, in his quest to destroy the humans and wake Unicron."

I wanted to speak up, but I could not. I could not move. Not with my host in Optimus Prime's hand.

"I'm tired," Sam says. "I don't want Alpha to die yet," he gestured at me. "I see the world through him. I'd like to experience some happiness with him and Megatron. But I don't want to recycle again." He looks up at Optimus. "Recycles fail because the drone hate them. When my shell comes to its natural end, I want peace."

"As you wish," the speaking Primes says. "But when his time comes, come to Cybertron and before the All-Spark. We extend this invitation to all the ones who came online and remained with you. Come to Cybertron and the All-Spark when you are ready. " He turns to Optimus. "Take the Matrix to the All-Spark and place it on the Cube."

TRTR

When the glow stops, Optimus stumbles back and Alpha collapses. I get there moments after Gamma. She seizes a cube and lifts his head. "Drink this, dammit, or I'll pour it down your throat," she orders. He groans but manages to get it down in sips.

I look up at Optimus, who looks at the Matrix with awe. He looks at me. "I must get to Cybertron as quickly as possible. " He heads for the door, then pauses. "What was your solution, Alpha?" he asks.

"Maintain Earth-like conditions for the trip and on Cybertron," he said. "It won't work for the labor you need, but it would've kept me alive until I got to the Cube."

The Prime laughs a little ruefully. "So obvious and we never saw it. " To me he says, "I'll let you know if this works as soon as I can. Meantime, Alpha, you still need to remain on board until we know."

"All right." He sounds exhausted. That's not a surprise, after using the defense shock twice in two days. Then he sends all of us a databurst.

"You're going to the medbay," I decide, and carry him there. As we move through the ship, I hear the excited voices. Several mechs give Alpha anxious looks. The other drones stop and speak to them, then catch up to me again.

In the medbay, Hoist and Gamma set up an energon drip. "Rest," Hoist tells him. "If you don't, I'll use a sedative."

Alpha gives him a sweet peaceful smile. "It's over," he says. "The Matrix absorbed the last part of the All-Spark. Optimus just needs to get it to the Cube as fast as possible. " He looks at me. "We have time now. All the time we need. "


	14. Megatron: Farewells and new beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The drones come to their natural ends, and Megatron begins again.

Alpha was right and he was wrong.

He did get time, enough to get everything he wanted done. Those were the happiest years of my existence, those generations when we worked together to deal with the aftermath of a crippling war on both Earth and Cybertron. We worked together, loved together, fought together, and on occasion, scared the daylights out of our assistants with our screaming arguments together.

But the time he got wasn't enough time for me.

TRTR

Within a month of the Prime's arrival on Cybertron with the All-Spark laden Matrix, the Cube sparks ten more new lives, all of them still thriving when the new rotations begin arriving. Soon after, the bodies of the Ancient Primes arrive. At the ceremony where they are reverently entombed, Optimus tells the story of their sacrifice."Those of you who listened to Sentinel," he says to the gathering, which included most of Tyger Pax and got broadcast to every other city, "believed him when he said we are better than the humans, that our need eclipsed their rights, that we deserved to rule them. Think of how our Primes sacrificed themselves to stop the Fallen from doing exactly the same." I remember watching the holovid later, and how Alpha hunched his shoulders at the next part. "Think how the All-Spark left part of itself in a human, and with the drone he became, we defeated the Fallen at last. He offered to sacrifice his life to help us renew our race. He did not need to. Can we say we are better than them now?"

That killed the last of Sentinel's plans for Earth. The fight to give Earth status as an independent ally and not as a colony takes a lot longer to win. Within a generation, all drones retain their human memories. Perceptor brings Starscream's design for Trent's shell. The difference lay in the firewall. Long Haul, who works with him, predicts over and over that within a generation the two scientists and Optimus would understand the policy behind firewalling the human's memories. Two generations later, he still says the same as they mount the shuttle ramp for the rotation toCybertron. "These new ones have no respect, no manners! They never use titles, they never bow, they don't know their places! "

Alpha snorts from his place by my side. "When that shuttle takes off," he coms me, "I'm going to join the party."

"What party?" I ask, against my better judgment.

"The one Wheeljack and Gamma are throwing to celebrate." Alpha gives me an amused sideways look.

"Don't worry, Long Haul, "Preceptor says with a straight face. "Since Wheeljack is still working on those new shells, you won't need to worry about the behavior of the new drones for a while. And just think, since you'll be doing the work yourself, you can be sure you're doing it to your own satisfaction. "

Long Haul snarls as Alpha steps behind me and stifles his laughter. Long Haul is the last of the old Council to rotate to Cybertron, slowly replaced by Autobots and drones. I'm certain he's noticed that none of the others have rotated back yet. As the shuttle lifts off, Alpha says, "Good-bye, and good riddance. Come on, Megatron, Wheeljack's got some good high grade, and Gamma promises she won't let him near his lab tonight."

Starscream comes for a while to work with Wheeljack on the space drone shells and brought both his trine members and his winglets. The sparklings take a liking to Alpha and follow him around as much as they can. When the humans see media footage of their drone leader followed by two 'baby Cybertronians', the lingering unease with the Autobots evaporates. Now that the Prime remains on Cybertron, I go to him for arrangements, leaving Alpha and his fellow former committee members to carry on. I see sparklings with Bumblebee and Ratchet, and remember Optimus Prime's promise. I want one, but not yet.

Alpha and I argue fiercely over sending humans to Cybertron, until Delta suggests calling for volunteers. Alpha grudgingly agrees as long as they get a full disclosure. Once the call goes out, the list of volunteers to go to space grows faster than either of us expect. With the help of hydroponics and some other renewable life support, a thriving human colony begins to grow, and I begin to see humans in the modified life support outfits in every city on Cybertron when I visit for Council meetings. First Wheeljack and his team produce the life support for the humans, based on Jetfire's old archived information from the human's venture into space before I conquered Earth. "How will you approach the drone shells?" Gamma asks him, tense. Wheeljack's sidebars flash as he regards her solemnly. Perceptor stands behind him; while he is the scientist, everyone knows that Wheeljack the genius remains the best chance of following Shockwave's research.

"I don't approve of what Shockwave did," he tells her. "If I need subjects, I'll ask for volunteers, and I will do everything I can to provide safety. But I'm not going to waste the deaths of you or Alpha or any of the others. I'm going to use Shockwave's research whenever I can."

She vents. "I can live with that," she says, and becomes his most trusted assistant.

They break the news to Alpha and I together. "We can make new shells that will survive space," Wheeljack says. "But we can't change the current shells without killing the host. If a current drone wants to go to space, he has to rebirth. "

"The problem is with free fall," Gamma adds. "It affects the seals that protect the human host. If a current drone shell goes to space, we have to remain in constant gravity. "

I pull Wheeljack aside and ask, "Is there a way to get a drone there alive?" and explain about the All-Spark's invitation as Optimus explained it to me.

"Oh, yes," Wheeljack assures me. "But they'd be in stasis for leaving and entering atmosphere, and need to stay in a sealed chamber while in the ship. That's established tech, and most of the shuttles have it." To my surprise, he comes up with a life support suit similar to the ones that humans use for space and Cybertron for drones who want to visit Cybertron. Beta turns out to be the first to use it, to investigate some complaints from the humans working in some of the factories on Cybertron. After settling the matter, he comes back both stunned by the destruction on Cybertron and impressed by the determination to rebuild. Gamma goes with Wheeljack and the first set of drones in the new shells.

I ask Alpha to go with me the next time I go for a Council meeting. He looks at me and shakes his head. "Earth is my home," he says. "There's only one reason I'll leave it."

"They want to talk to one of the original drones, and you're the liaison," I argue.

He insists firmly, "Delta can go. He'd like to see Optimus again, and he might not be able to go later." I give in, ungraciously. He nearly 'faces me through the berth that night, trying to ease my disappointment.

It's not until we're on the ship that I realize why Alpha suggested Delta. While the commanders still hold their positions, they've been content with administrative work lately, and I never thought to wonder why. Watching Delta, I realize that he moves slowly. "What's wrong with you?" I ask him.

"I'm getting old," he tells me, optics glued to a viewscreen showing space. "The last few repairs haven't taken well." He sends me a sideways look. I understand why. In the old days, no drone would ever admit to such a weakness. Back in the days of my empire, he'd be on his way to a rebirth chamber. 

"Why do drones hate rebirth?" I ask, curious. After all, it's a chance to keep living, isn't it?

He gathers his thoughts. "It's a kind of death," he finally says.

The meeting goes about the same as usual until new business comes up. Delta is called as a witness regarding human technology before my conquest. He speaks on at length and answers questions with almost his old vigor. The next day, Optimus calls me. "I need you as a witness," he says. "Please come to the Temple of the All-Spark." I arrive, to find Delta standing by Optimus in the anteroom to the All-Spark itself. "Delta, the Ancient Primes requested that you and the other original drones come to the All-Spark when you are ready. Are you ready?"

"Yes," he says softly. "It's my time. I'm ready."

Optimus turns to me. "Will you witness?" I nod, not sure what I am witnessing. Is Delta hoping the All-Spark will heal him? The Prime opens the chamber, and Delta steps in. As we watch, blue lightning arcs from the Cube to the drone. As it dances over the drone, the shell opens and the fragile, shriveled human body emerges. There is a huge flash of light. When I can see again, there is only an empty shell in the chamber. The host is gone.

Every plate on my chassis shudders. Optimus goes into the chamber and emerges with the shell, keening softly. I find myself keening with him for a time. "He asked me to take the shell to Perceptor for research," he says softly, and I nod.

When I get back, Alpha and the others wait for me, and I see the grief and tension in them. I tell them Delta's choice. "We knew," Epsilon says. "Can you tell us what happened?"

"Only with some high grade," I say, to find they have it waiting. As I speak, they listen intently. When I finish, Alpha stands. "Here's to a true friend and a strong man," he says. They talk about his various shells, and laugh, and keen. I leave them to their wake.

Alpha comes to the berth completely and totally buzzed. "It's a relief," he says, as I hold him tightly. "Quick and easy, painless. Nice to know when it's my time." I watch him closely in the next few days, but he seems to be fine. In fact, when he sees me watching, he goes out of his way to prove he's fine. I admit I faked concern a few times so I'd find him waiting for me with some high grade and a knowing smile.

A generation or so later, a transport accident mangles Epsilon's legs and the replacements don't take. I take him with me on my next trip, and witness. Some generations later, Gamma goes after an accident in Wheeljack's lab. Wheeljack takes her, and stays on Cybertron. Beta goes next, but he is already on Cybertron investigating a complaint when his fuel pump goes out. When Optimus contacts me and Alpha, he says, "We barely got him there in time. He refused to let Wheeljack repair him, saying he was ready."

I look at Alpha, who gives me a smile. "I'm not ready yet," he assures me. "Too much work to do." Once again, I keep a sharp eye on him for a time. By this time, he's openly acknowledged as the Council head, and I remain as advisor for both Earth and Cybertron's Councils. I spend almost as much time on Cybertron now as I do on Earth. Very few Cybertronians work in government service on Earth except as advisers.

When I get the emergency message, I'm on Cybertron talking to Optimus, and he hears it. He arranges a shuttle immediately. As soon as the ramp touches the ground I leap out and head for the medbay. He looks normal, recharging on the medical berth with a drone working over him. "I'm afraid there's nothing more we can do, Protector Megatron," Lucas tells me, looking up earnestly. Gamma trained him, and I know he's one of the best drone medics we've ever had, including Hook. "The short took out some of his main lines."

At that point Alpha rouses and turns to look at me. "So they got through to you," he says, but his voice is full of static. "Good." He pushes up on one arm and leans to the left. If I had not caught him, he would have fallen, and I realize with a chill that he can't move his left arm.

"What's the damage?" I ask. I see Alpha's second in command in the back of the room.

"I can't feel my right side," Alpha says through his com. "Ivy?" I hear murmuring in the hall. The news has already spread.

The frightened fem comes to the bedside. "Yes, Alpha?" Coolant streams from her optics.

"Call an emergency Council meeting for tomorrow. Contact each of the Council members in person, and explain what's happened." She nods and leaves. He looks at me. "It's my time, Megatron. I'm ready. Please make the arrangements."

"No," I say, and fight down the need to keen. "There must be something more we can do. Some kind of replacement. You don't have to die yet."

"No," Alpha says. He reaches up with his good arm and lays his hand on my face, peace in his expression. As he goes on, he becomes harder and harder to hear through the static, and he resorts to the com. "Sam is tired. I am tired. We need to go."

I carry him to the meeting and hold him in my lap as he formally resigns his office. The Council agrees to announce his illness and that he is returning to Cybertron on the request of the Prime. It takes a week to arrange for the shuttle with the accommodations we need, as Alpha gets weaker and weaker. His mind is clear, and several Council members contact him for information and advice, but his shell's circuitry is eroding a little at a time. Drones and humans line the street as our transport leaves for the shuttleport. As we start to embark, I stop and relay Alpha's com to the crowd. He can't speak more than a few words before his vocalizer goes out.

"People of Earth, I leave with the knowledge I have left this world in the best of hands. Few beings can say that they achieved every goal they have ever made. I can say that. May all of you be able to do the same." They cheer him, though I see tears flowing down almost every face there as I take him onto the shuttle. The captain leads me to the cabin arranged for him, and a medic puts him in stasis for the takeoff. Both are space-shell drones. On the trip, Alpha watches the viewscreen constantly. "I always did want to see the stars," he murmurs. "Sam did, too."

"Sam is his host?" the medic asks.

I nod. We both know it's a sign of final degeneration. She heads for the cockpit. When we arrive on Cybertron, the specialized transport waits for him. To my surprise, it's Bumblebee. "I'm going directly to the Temple," Bumblebee tells me. "Optimus is there. I'm to be the witness."

At the temple, I tell Optimus,"I'm taking him in." I expect an argument, but instead he only nods. "Alpha, are you ready?"

"Sam and I are both ready," he says. As I pick him up, he smiles at me. I've never seen him more beautiful. "I love you. Don't worry. I ordered a sparkling protoform for you through Optimus a long time ago. "I hold him to me tightly. Then I step into the chamber.

As soon as we cross the threshold, blue light flares. "Put him down," I hear. The voice is kind, and soft, and yet I never consider disobeying.

"Please," I say. I want to plead for Alpha's healing.

"That is not your choice," the All-Spark tells me as the shell opens. "Sam?"

The physical form looks horrible, but a shadowy human form stands beside it. "I'm so tired," he says, in Sam Witwicky's voice. "Why did you leave part of yourself in me?"

"I wished to send my Prime home to rebuild. To do so, I had to keep Megatron away, until the Fallen was dead. And so I left part of myself within you, to combat his darkness and protect your planet as best I could in return, knowing he would feel that and wish to keep you near him."

"Why do you need me now?" he asks.

"Alpha is strong," she says, and I hear the amusement in her voice. "As are all of you who merged with the shells made in my children's image. Let me take your memories, and you can choose to stay with me in the Well, or go where human sparks go."

"You can have the memories," he says. "Then I need to go home, to our version of the Well of Sparks. The others are waiting for me. I'm so tired."

"Then go," she says. "I have what I need. I thank you."

Sam turns to look at me. "Raise a sparkling and be happy, Megatron. " Then he is gone.

"Megatron," she says, "be grateful for the time you had with him. He did more than I ever expected. He returned you from the darkness." I bow to the voice, and find myself standing in the chamber with the empty shell beside me. I pick it up and take it out, keening.

I mourn Alpha for a week before I go to pick up the sparkling protoform. Optimus himself takes me to the sparking center. He has a protoform with him as well. "I waited," he says.

Soon after we step out with our sparklings. I look down on my new little fem, who gazes at the world with fascinated eyes. It doesn't take away the pain, but she needs me, the way 71 did, the way the new-made Alpha did.

I will not fail her.

It's time to be a father. Life goes on.

 


End file.
